Yong Hyein: "Concurrent Cabinet Roles Permitted by Law... Please Convene the Confirmation Hearing" (Comprehensive)

Emergency Press Conference on the 10th; Responds to Various Controversies

"Concurrent Position Debate Is Not a Matter of Precedent"

On State Subsidy Dispute: "Unjust to Call It a 'Phantom Party'"

Discloses Spouse's Salary Amid 'Family

Yong Hyein, nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, held a press conference at the National Assembly on the 10th, stating, "By law, it is in principle allowed for a member of the National Assembly to concurrently serve as a Cabinet member," and refused to withdraw from consideration for the ministerial post. Addressing controversies such as receiving government subsidies and the issue of so-called 'family parties', Yong refuted each allegation point by point and urged the People Power Party to "hold a confirmation hearing."

At the press conference, Yong said, "Since my nomination, groundless suspicions have been reported as if they are facts, and even when I refute them, the coverage does not follow," rejecting calls for her resignation and demanding that a date be set for her confirmation hearing. For nearly 40 minutes that day, Yong provided explanations for a variety of allegations.

Yong Hyein, nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is holding a press conference announcing her stance at the National Assembly communication center on the 10th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Yong particularly addressed the debate over dual roles, noting, "The nomination of an incumbent opposition lawmaker as a ministerial candidate is the first such case since the DJP coalition during the Kim Dae-jung administration." She added, "It is difficult to regard this as a precedent or a matter of customary practice." She argued that the fact she is a proportional representative does not require her to follow the convention of not holding dual posts. Yong also analyzed, "We need to consider the intent behind nominating an incumbent opposition member," but expressed regret, saying, "However, once the official position of the Democratic Party spokesperson was made public, a pre-set narrative took hold."

However, she also said she was open to institutional discussions about the negative side effects of dual office holding by lawmakers and cabinet members. In other words, she asserted that a legislative debate about the dual office issue is necessary.

Yong also actively countered criticism that the Basic Income Party seeks to receive government subsidies. Addressing the criticism about listing the residence of the Chungnam provincial party chair as the party’s office, she explained, "It was approved by the election commission, so it’s unfair to label the party a 'ghost party'." She further pushed back against the People Power Party, stating, "If a party that received hundreds of billions of won in government subsidies and played the role of gatekeeper for those convicted of insurrection calls the Basic Income Party a parasite party, does that make it true?" Yong argued, "Who is the real parasite party—the People Power Party, which relies on government subsidies for 35.7% of its annual income, or the Basic Income Party, which receives just 1.6% of its annual income from government subsidies?"

Yong also responded to some media reports about the alleged establishment of ghost provincial chapters, saying, "Having a local party office does not lead to more subsidies. The percentage of government subsidy each party receives is fixed."

Regarding allegations of being a 'family party', Yong expressed a sense of unfairness. She spoke about her spouse: "From June 2020 to August 2026, he worked for the party for six years and two months and received about 160 million won in total salary during that period." Excluding parental leave, she explained, "His average monthly salary was around 2.5 million won." She also referenced the salary of a secretary at the National Assembly, arguing, "Is there any issue with a forty-year-old worker receiving about 2.5 million won a month from a company for five years?"

Yong requested that the National Assembly proceed with the confirmation hearing. She said, "The People Power Party refused to negotiate today regarding the hearing schedule and did not convene the scheduled general meeting. Unless this is an attempt to let the falsehoods and patchwork narratives they've created go unchallenged before the people, they should hold a confirmation hearing."

On this day, confrontation continued between the ruling and opposition parties over Yong’s confirmation hearing schedule and the selection of witnesses. The meeting of the Gender Equality and Family Committee, originally scheduled to deliberate on adopting the plan to hold a confirmation hearing, was canceled 50 minutes before its 11 a.m. start. It was reported that the People Power Party was preparing to request 28 individuals as witnesses, including Yong's husband Park Gihong, senior official of the Basic Income Party, other party officials, and Kiloh Kim, CEO of Korea Board Games, who has been associated with so-called 'under-the-table organization' allegations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.