Democratic lawmaker urges minister nominee Yong to give up Assembly seat before confirmation hearing

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Su-jin, who leads her party's side on the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee, said Monday that voices within the party are calling on Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Yong Hye-in to give up her proportional-representation Assembly seat before her confirmation hearing.

Speaking on KBS Radio's "Jeongyeok Sisa" program and asked about the mood inside the Democratic Party toward Yong, Lee said, "There is a great deal of concern and worry within the party," adding that members have been saying the nominee should make a decision before the hearing.

"Holding both positions is not illegal, but the issue is the established convention," Lee said. "The nominee also needs to exercise judgment that meets the public's expectations." She acknowledged, however, that Yong faces a difficult choice: if she steps down from her Assembly seat, there is no successor to inherit the proportional-representation slot, which would leave the Basic Income Party without a presence in the legislature. "The nominee must be wrestling deeply with that," Lee said.

She added that the position of minister must meet the public's standards and demands a high level of moral integrity and political accountability. "I think the nominee needs to make a judgment that aligns with what the public expects," Lee said.

Lee also suggested that the dual-role controversy was overshadowing Yong's other qualifications, and again signaled that a decision before the hearing was necessary. "Don't we need politicians who represent different sensibilities and generations?" she said of Yong. "The difficulties facing smaller parties have also come through. I hope the nominee will reflect carefully and make a good decision before the hearing."

The schedule for Yong's confirmation hearing has yet to be agreed upon by the ruling and opposition parties. "Because the request was submitted on Thursday, in practice a date must be set and the process must begin by Sept. 18," Lee said. "At first the discussions went well and it seemed a date would be set, but at some point the other side suddenly kept pushing it back."

She directed her criticism at the People Power Party, saying it appeared to have already decided to bring Yong down. "I think they are planning to put this on the chuseok dinner table — deliberately refusing to set a date, dragging it out, and running a strategy to let unverified claims spread through the media," Lee said. "I find that deeply regrettable."

Lee said negotiators from both parties were set to resume talks over the hearing schedule that day. "The two sides will be talking again today," she said. "I ask the PPP's floor leadership to please consider ensuring that a date is set no later than Sept. 18, a Friday."

On the PPP's allegations that Yong ran a so-called underground network, Lee said there was no concrete basis for the claim, but added that the hearing must still examine the matter. "Whether the nominee was involved in an underground network, and whether there was gender discrimination within it and she bore any responsibility for that — these are questions that must be verified at the confirmation hearing," she said.