Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Song Young-gil [Yonhap]
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Song Young-gil [Yonhap]

Criticism is mounting within the ruling camp after Yong Hye-in, nominee for minister of gender equality and family, signaled Wednesday that she intends to push through and resist calls for her to resign her National Assembly seat.

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Song Young-gil appeared on SBS Radio's "Kim Tae-hyun's Politics Show" on Wednesday and offered a pointed analogy. "In nature documentaries, when a wildebeest herd crosses a stream on the Serengeti, it's hard to fend off every crocodile — sometimes one gets taken," he said. "Public sentiment will not easily accept this dual-role controversy."

Song added that he had doubts about the nomination's appeal to younger voters. "I wonder what resonance appointing her as minister of gender equality and family actually has for the younger generation," he said.

Song also questioned whether the arrangement could be seen as fair. "How many people in their twenties and thirties would genuinely feel that someone from their generation being made a minister was something they could relate to? They might instead ask whether this is even fair," he said. "Serving two terms as a proportional-representation lawmaker is already outside the norm. Wanting to hold on to an Assembly seat on top of being made a minister — anyone would see that as greedy, and it will feel unfair."

When the host asked whether the matter should be resolved through the confirmation hearing process or whether the president should withdraw the nomination, Song said the answer would depend on how the hearing unfolds.


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