Ahn Cheol-soo questions public funding for Basic Income Party, calls it 'one-person show' for Yong Hye-in

People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo on Wednesday questioned why public funds should go to the Basic Income Party, after Yong Hye-in — the party's lawmaker and nominee for gender equality and family minister — was named to the post, asking why taxpayer money should support a party that treats Yong as its "supreme leader."

In a Facebook post Wednesday, Ahn said Yong had refused to resign her proportional representation seat upon being appointed minister, adding that the Basic Income Party stood to suffer a serious blow if it became an extraparliamentary party.

"That is inevitable," Ahn said. "The Basic Income Party is in effect a party controlled by Yong Hye-in alone." He added that a look at the candidates running for party leader and supreme council seats showed they were all Yong's people.

Ahn noted that the candidates vying for the party's top posts all had personal ties to Yong. The sole candidate running for party leader had served as Yong's parliamentary secretary, he said, while one supreme council candidate was Yong's spouse, another had worked as a legislative aide in her office, and a third had served as her policy adviser.

"Has there ever been a party where a single lawmaker's family members and staff monopolize the positions of party leader and supreme council?" Ahn said. "I question why the people's hard-earned tax money should go to a party that enshrines Yong Hye-in as its supreme leader and highest authority."

He added that Cheong Wa Dae and the Democratic Party were nonetheless "desperate to hand Yong special privileges," invoking phrases such as "give her a chance," "a capable young person" and "the precedent is different."

"If Yong is appointed minister as President Lee Jae Myung wishes, the Ministry of Gender Equality will ultimately become yet another habitat for Yong Hye-in's followers," Ahn said. "The current state of the Basic Income Party proves this. Do you really need to taste it to know?"