Office of the President on Potential Withdrawal of Yong Hyein's Nomination: "Nominee Should Have Chance to Explain at Hearing"

"No Prior Coordination with the Office of the President Regarding Announcement to Retain Assembly Seat"
"Listening to Diverse Voices of the Public"...Plan to Strengthen Vetting System
Confirmation Hearing Principle Maintained for Kim Seungwon Nominee as Well...On Kim Minseok’s Positive Remarks, "No Further Comment"

On September 11, the Office of the President stated that there was "no change in its position that the nominee should be given the opportunity to explain herself to the public" regarding the potential withdrawal of Yong Hyein's nomination as Minister of Gender Equality and Family. This reaffirmed the existing policy that, despite the ongoing controversy surrounding nominee Yong, any verification should take place during the parliamentary confirmation hearing rather than an immediate withdrawal of the nomination. However, the Office of the President also emphasized that it is "listening to the diverse voices of the people," highlighting that it is paying close attention to the worsening public sentiment.

Yong Hyein, nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, holds a press conference to announce her position at the National Assembly Communication Office on September 10, 2026. Photo by Dongjoo Yoon

Kang Yoojung, Chief Presidential Spokesperson, responded to a question about the possibility of withdrawing the nomination during a briefing held after a meeting chaired by President Lee Jaemyung, stating, "It is the position of the Office of the President that the nominee for minister should have the opportunity to provide an explanation to the public."

Regarding Yong Hyein’s announcement during her press conference the previous day that she would not resign her position as a member of the National Assembly even if appointed minister, the Office of the President denied any prior coordination. Chief Spokesperson Kang clarified, "The nominee's press conference is unrelated to the president's overseas schedule," and added, "There was no separate coordination with us."

Even though the schedule for the parliamentary confirmation hearing for nominee Yong has yet to be finalized, the Office of the President repeatedly stressed the principle of 'confirmation hearing first, decision afterward.' Kang Yoojung stated, "The Office of the President is always attentive to the voices of the people," adding, "Our stance remains unchanged: the nominee should be given an opportunity to provide an explanation to the public."

However, in response to recent criticism that personnel verification for ministerial nominees may not have been sufficiently thorough, the Office of the President expressed its intention to supplement the vetting system. Kang Yoojung said, "It is difficult for the Office of the President to disclose every detail of the personnel verification process," but added, "Appointments in the Lee Jaemyung administration are handled systematically under the supervision of the Personnel Committee Chair." She continued, "We are constantly improving and will further strengthen the system so that it sufficiently meets public expectations."

The Office of the President’s policy is the same with regard to Kim Seungwon, nominee for Minister of Justice. When asked to comment on Minseok Kim, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, positively evaluating Kim’s nomination, Chief Spokesperson Kang stated, "We have nothing further to add to the party leader’s remarks."

Kang added, "Those nominated as cabinet ministers should be given ample opportunity in the confirmation hearings to explain their qualifications, sense of duty, and respond to any allegations raised," and reiterated that "this position remains unchanged."

On September 7, the Office of the President also stated that both Kim and Yong were "nominated through the personnel system under the responsibility of the Personnel Committee Chair," and once again stressed that verification through confirmation hearings should come first. Although controversies and internal pressure within the ruling bloc are mounting over the two nominees, the administration appears to be prioritizing the confirmation process and monitoring the trends in public opinion, rather than withdrawing the nominations.

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