"She Held Out With No Regard for the President"... Sharp Criticism Pours In Over Yong Hyein's Resignation

Yong Hye-in Voluntarily Withdraws from Nomination 14 Days After Appointment

Choi Jin Says, "She Held Out for 14 Days Despite Warning Signs From Young Voters"

Opposition Demands Lawmaker's Resignation and President's Apology Amid Intensified Criticism

Questions have been raised about accountability in the selection process following the voluntary withdrawal of Yong Hye-in, a Basic Income Party lawmaker who was nominated as the Minister of Gender Equality and Family.

Yong Hyein, a lawmaker of the Basic Income Party, who was nominated as a candidate for the Minister of Gender Equality and Family but announced her voluntary withdrawal from the candidacy. Photo by Yonhap News

Choi Jin, head of the Presidential Leadership Institute, said on KBS 1 Radio’s “Jung Kwan-yong's Current Affairs Headquarters” on the 13th, regarding Assemblywoman Yong—who announced her intent to step down that day—“She held on for far too long,” adding, “I believe the President’s approval rating dropped by 1 percentage point per day.” He continued, “The Democratic Party leadership underestimated the political situation, and Ms. Yong, too, held out with no regard for the President.” He further stated, “Even after the first warning sign, when the 20s and 30s age group started to turn away, she persisted until the 14th. This was an ignorant response. She only resigned after the situation reached its worst point.”

Choi Changryeol, a distinguished professor at Yongin University, remarked, “She was selected in an effort to appeal to young voters, but for young men in particular she was clearly a candidate they would turn their backs on, and due to controversy over a sense of privilege, even young women had little choice but to turn away as well.” He added, “I cannot understand the political judgment at all.” Professor Choi pointed out, “At a press conference a few days ago, she gave a strong message that she would not resign, further fueling opposition,” and added, “Right after her resignation, she revealed that she had received the Democratic Party’s request, but it’s questionable why she only made an official statement now.” He also criticized the Democratic Party’s leadership for how they responded to the situation.

A Reversal of Course Just Three Days After a "Head-on Breakthrough" Pledge

On this day, 14 days after being nominated by President Lee Jaemyung on August 30, Assemblywoman Yong held a press conference at the National Assembly’s press room to announce her decision to withdraw. There had been ongoing controversy over her holding both a proportional representation seat and the minister post, and when it became known that her spouse had received a salary as a Basic Income Party official, criticism emerged about the party being a “family-run” organization. On the 10th, she declared her intention to confront the controversy by stating that the law permits holding both positions, but stepped down only three days later.

Assemblywoman Yong stated, “The Democratic Party asked me to make a decision, considering the lack of public consensus around holding both a proportional representation seat and a minister position,” adding, “With even the ruling party expressing concern, I determined it is realistically difficult to carry out the role.”

However, regarding the allegations raised so far, she said, “I wanted to clarify each and every one of them before the public because I have nothing to be ashamed of.” After the press conference, Shin Ji-hye, a senior official of the Basic Income Party, said, “We received the Democratic Party’s request yesterday and made the final decision in consultation with the party leadership,” but added, “to my knowledge, there was no communication with the presidential office.” The presidential office stated they would respect Ms. Yong’s decision and proceed with the subsequent process.

Opposition Parties Assert, "It Doesn't End with Resignation" and Intensify Criticism

The People Power Party continued its attack. Representative Jang Donghyuk said, “This does not end with the candidate’s resignation,” and the party’s floor leaders demanded Ms. Yong’s resignation from her legislative seat, an apology from President Lee Jaemyung, and disciplinary action over the presidential personnel team.

This is not the first time the appointment of the Minister of Gender Equality and Family has faced difficulties. Over the past three years, including the period when it was formerly the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, three nominees have now stepped down amid controversy: Kim Haeng, the former interim leader of the People Power Party, over alleged “stock parking”; Kang Sunwoo, a lawmaker of the Democratic Party, amidst alleged mistreatment of aides; and now Assemblywoman Yong. There are concerns that if the appointment of a successor is delayed, the ministry’s policy momentum may be weakened.

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