Yong Hye-in quits as gender minister nominee amid criticism

Rep. Yong Hye-in of the minor Basic Income Party withdrew her nomination for minister of gender equality and family Sunday, ending two weeks of mounting controversy over her decision to retain her parliamentary seat alongside the cabinet post.

“I decided to step down as the nominee for minister of gender equality and family, relinquishing my personal determination to create a gender-equal society for all under the Lee Jae Myung administration,” Yong said during a press conference at the National Assembly.

She cited opposition from within the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) as the decisive factor.

“Cabinet members are meant to bridge the Assembly and government to build consensus. With even the ruling party voicing concern, I concluded that fulfilling the duties in reality would be impossible,” Yong said. “I also determined that stopping here is necessary to carry forward the spirit of solidarity of the DPK, the Basic Income Party and the broader democratic progressive bloc.”

Yong also directed criticism at the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), accusing it of abandoning its role in the confirmation process.

“Over the past two weeks, PPP lawmakers gave up their job of candidate verification to mock and belittle the challenges faced by a minor political party instead,” she said.

“Meanwhile, some media outlets released malicious and distorted coverage without fact-checking or guaranteeing even basic rights of rebuttal. I waited for the confirmation hearing as I wanted to explain directly to the public because I have nothing to hide. Yet in the end, the PPP refused to even schedule the hearing.”

After the announcement, Cheong Wa Dae said that it respected Yong’s decision to voluntarily step down, calling it a move to ease pressures on the administration.

“We respect the nominee’s choice. It appears that it is a self-determined move aimed at easing the burdens on state affairs and public livelihoods,” senior presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a statement.

Regarding Yong's withdrawal, PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig called for an apology from the president, saying "I urge President Lee to apologize to the public over this Yong Hye-in nomination fiasco and take responsible measures regarding the presidential personnel vetting team that failed in its screening."

The withdrawal followed mounting backlash from both ruling and opposition lawmakers, as well as women's rights groups, who argued she was unfit for the post after announcing she would retain her parliamentary seat, a move critics called a break from convention.

Yong, a two-term lawmaker, secured both her terms through proportional representation on party-list tickets formed by liberal satellite coalitions led by the DPK. After her Cabinet nomination on Aug. 30, she said she would keep her Assembly seat, arguing that stepping down would leave the Basic Income Party without parliamentary representation, as an institutional gap in coalition politics would prevent the party from inheriting her seat.

Even within the DPK, opinions were divided on whether it was acceptable for Yong to retain her seat. Some argued that it was not illegal, while others claimed it would inevitably escalate into a broader fairness controversy.

Meanwhile, many women's rights groups opposed her nomination, claiming she was unqualified for the post because Yong had backed a legislative bill that stripped the prosecution of its direct investigative powers. They argued the legal changes weaken protections for victims of sexual violence and other vulnerable people by removing a crucial layer of prosecutorial review.

Confirmation hearing week

Parliamentary confirmation hearings for justice and Cabinet nominees begin Monday, with the National Assembly vetting Supreme Court justice nominee Kim Sung-soo, recommended by Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae. On Tuesday, lawmakers will hold simultaneous hearings for three cabinet nominees: Lee Hyoung-il for deputy prime minister and finance minister, Rep. Kim Seung-won for justice minister and Rep. Lee So-young for minister of SMEs and startups. Hearings continue Wednesday for Defense Minister nominee Kang Shin-chul and Land Minister nominee Hong Jee-sun.

The most contentious hearing is expected to be for the justice minister nominee, who faces allegations that he illegally lobbied the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2021 to help win approval for a COVID-19 treatment. Kim has denied any wrongdoing, saying he will provide a detailed explanation at his hearing.

The DPK has rallied behind Kim's nomination, a move widely seen as an effort to complete the Lee administration's prosecution reform agenda ahead of the October launch of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency.

The PPP claimed Lee appointed a close ally to shield himself from future legal exposure.

“As co-chair of an organization advocating for the dismissal of indictments against the president, (nominee Kim) represents the final piece of the puzzle at the justice ministry to shield the president from legal risks,” Rep. Choi Bo-yun, senior spokesperson of the PPP, said in a statement Sunday.

The party also accused the DPK of normalizing hearings without witnesses, saying, "While shouting for parliamentary democracy when they were the opposition, once becoming the ruling party they became the regime's vanguard and are conducting parliamentary dictatorship."

Other nominees Lee Hyoung-il, Lee So-young, Kang Shin-chul and Hong Jee-sun are also facing scrutiny ahead of their hearings, with real estate irregularities among the most common allegations — an irony given that the Lee administration has championed the principle that housing should be a place to live, not a vehicle for investment.