Yong Hye-in: Naming sitting opposition lawmaker as minister 'cannot be judged by precedent'

Yong Hye-in, the nominee for minister of gender equality and family, went on the offensive Thursday amid swirling controversy over her plan to hold a proportional representation Assembly seat while serving as a minister and allegations that she turned her party into a personal fiefdom. She reaffirmed her intent to keep both her proportional Assembly seat and her ministerial nomination, noting that this marks the first time an opposition lawmaker has been nominated for a Cabinet post.

In response to opposition claims that she is exploiting her party's floor negotiating status to receive state subsidies, Yong countered that the People Power Party is "the parasitic party," receiving hundreds of billions of won in state subsidies. On the accusation that she turned a blind eye to sexist practices within a so-called "underground faction," she shot back, "Would the Basic Income Party — often called a feminist party — and I really do such a thing?"

Yong made the remarks at a press conference at the National Assembly press center, saying, "I judged it necessary to explain in detail to the public the points many people are curious about, so I want to address them one by one and clarify my position."

Addressing criticism that there is no precedent for holding both a proportional Assembly seat and a ministerial post simultaneously, Yong said, "The nomination of a sitting opposition lawmaker as a minister is itself the first case since the DJP coalition under the Kim Dae-jung administration, so it is difficult to judge this by precedent." Yong had earlier said she could not resign her proportional Assembly seat because doing so would cost the Basic Income Party its floor negotiating status.

Yong went on to say, "Lawmakers holding concurrent Cabinet posts is a principle allowed by law," adding, "We should instead reflect on whether the practice of resigning a proportional seat has been treated among politicians as a way of dividing up spoils." She also said, "If the argument is that the side effects of lawmakers holding concurrent Cabinet posts should be discussed legislatively, I sympathize with that need," but added, "I cannot agree with applying a different principle only to proportional lawmakers."

To the PPP's argument that state subsidies should be cut off for "satellite parties" created as a ploy to receive state funding, Yong hit back that fairness would require cutting off subsidies to both the PPP and the Democratic Party of Korea, since both have created satellite parties. She sharply criticized the PPP, saying, "Between the People Power Party, which relies on state subsidies for 35.7 percent of its annual revenue, and the Basic Income Party, which receives only 1.6 percent of its funding from state subsidies and sustains itself through membership dues, who exactly is the parasitic party?"

She went on to propose reforming the current state subsidy regime, which she said only benefits entrenched parties. She suggested that subsidies be allocated according to parties' vote shares in national elections so that even parties without floor negotiating status can receive support proportional to what voters chose.

Regarding allegations that she made a quick flip on a house in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province — selling it 11 months after purchase to pocket a price gain — Yong said the decision was made to balance work and childcare. She explained that she moved to Ansan in 2021 ahead of giving birth to get help from her parents, then moved back to Seoul, which had a shorter commute, once her spouse returned to work.

Yong said, "I faithfully paid more than 10 million won ($7,470) in capital gains tax at a 70 percent tax rate, and even returned the reduced acquisition tax I had received as a first-time homebuyer." She added, "If my real goal had been to profit from a price gain, I would have held onto the property for just 20 more days to minimize taxes, or switched to a jeonse or monthly rent arrangement instead of selling."

Targeting People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jin-woo, who raised the allegations, Yong said pointedly, "Rep. Joo, who accused me of 'owning everything,' saw his family's assets increase by 840 million won from the previous year to reach 7.8 billion won as of the end of last year, while my husband and I have less than 300 million won combined."

On her past involvement in the underground faction, Yong said, "The undisclosed faction in question dissolved itself in 2017 due to sexist and hierarchical practices and a lack of capability, as several former colleagues have pointed out." She added, "I sympathize with the concerns my former colleagues raised. It was a fitting outcome for a group with such outdated practices to dissolve."

Yong said, "What people probably want to know is whether I, Yong Hye-in, secretly hold beliefs against abortion and in favor of premarital chastity while acting deceptively," dismissing the suggestion as "absurd." She went on to ask, "Would the Basic Income Party — which has led efforts to abolish the abortion law and push for the introduction of the abortion pill Mifegymiso, so much so that one politician said he would rather be labeled pro-North Korea than support it, and which is called a feminist party — and I really do such a thing?"

Allegations had earlier surfaced that the underground faction — in which Yong and many other Basic Income Party members had once been involved — enforced discriminatory rules banning abortion and dating and requiring premarital chastity. Yong rebuffed the claim, saying, "I cannot agree that I condoned or stayed silent about the concerns raised."

Yong said, "I founded the Basic Income Party together with colleagues who agreed on the need for critical reflection on sexist and hierarchical practices and for a new social movement centered on basic income," drawing a line by adding, "This has nothing to do with the undisclosed faction that already dissolved in 2017."

Yong also urged that a confirmation hearing be held for her nomination. She said, "The People Power Party refused to discuss the hearing schedule and skipped the planned general meeting Thursday," adding, "I hope there will be an opportunity for a comprehensive review."

Speculation arose that Yong might resign as a ministerial nominee after she did not show up at her hearing-preparation office Thursday, eight days after she began preparing for the confirmation hearing. Hearing schedules for nominees of five other ministries have been confirmed, while the National Assembly's Gender Equality and Family Committee canceled its general meeting that day.