Yong Hye-in, nominee for minister of gender equality and family. (Yonhap)
Yong Hye-in, nominee for minister of gender equality and family. (Yonhap)

Yong Hye-in, the nominee for minister of gender equality and family, has stayed silent on questions over whether she can hold both her National Assembly seat and the ministerial post at the same time. A blunt remark she once made about a similar case is now coming back to haunt her.

In 2023, as a first-term lawmaker, Yong criticized Kim Haeng, then the nominee to head the ministry's predecessor, after Kim halted her daily commute press briefings just five days in. "She said she would explain everything at the confirmation hearing, and then even stopped the commute briefings," Yong said at the time. "We have no choice but to interpret this as her fleeing because she cannot explain herself."

Now Yong herself has remained silent on the controversy surrounding her own nomination. On Monday, she even dodged a question from reporters who asked, "If you do not respond, are you not acting just like the entrenched establishment you once criticized?"

On Thursday, she plans to review documents requested by the National Assembly at her home as she prepares for her confirmation hearing.

A Ministry of Gender Equality and Family official said the nominee told the preparation team on Wednesday night that she intended to focus on reviewing the documents at home ahead of the hearing.

According to a survey commissioned by Newstomato and conducted by Media Tomato among 1,035 adults aged 18 and older nationwide from Monday to Tuesday, 73.4 percent of respondents said they opposed Yong's appointment as minister of gender equality and family when asked whether they supported or opposed it.


123@heraldcorp.com