Opposition flags gaps in document submissions from minister nominee
Nominee's team cites difficulty recalling past activities
Yong holds press conference to directly rebut allegations
Yong Hye-in, the nominee for minister of gender equality and family, has gone on the offensive against allegations surrounding her nomination — holding a press conference to rebut them directly — but critics say she has been far less forthcoming with the National Assembly's document requests ahead of her confirmation hearing.
According to political sources, Yong's confirmation hearing preparation team had not responded to 96 document requests submitted by the People Power Party as of Thursday. People Power Party Assembly member Kang Seon-yeong, who leads her party's side on the National Assembly's gender equality and family committee, said at a press conference that Yong had done nothing but repeat the same line — "I will explain in detail at the confirmation hearing" — since her first day at work on Sept. 2, accusing the nominee of hiding behind her Basic Income Party spokesperson team.
The opposition also argues that the responses submitted lack the substance needed for proper vetting. When one People Power Party lawmaker's office requested a list of Yong's external activities, her team replied: "We ask for your understanding, as the candidate's participation in a wide range of organizations since her school years makes it difficult to compile specific documentation."
In response to a request for records of rallies, protests, press conferences and sit-ins she had participated in since 2010, her team said it was "unable to submit all materials, as the candidate cannot recall every past activity given her involvement in a wide range of social issues since her university years."
A People Power Party lawmaker's office official said the party had requested a wide range of materials for a thorough review given the controversy surrounding the nominee, but had yet to receive much of what it asked for. "Even the responses we have received are so brief that they raise further questions requiring additional verification," the official said.
Opposition lawmakers say the pattern contradicts Yong's own posture of confronting allegations head-on since her nomination. People Power Party Chief Spokesperson Choi Eun-seok said in a statement that Yong had been given the opportunity to explain the allegations fully before the public and decide her own course of action, but had chosen to press ahead toward the ministerial post. "The weight of scrutiny that comes with that choice is hers to bear," he said.
Earlier, Yong held a press conference on Thursday in which she stressed that a minister concurrently serving as a lawmaker is a principle established by law, and argued that her entry into the cabinet carries significance as an expression of "coalition politics."
"It is deeply regrettable that a public statement by a Democratic Party spokesperson was posted before I could confirm that significance and explain it to the public, locking the narrative into a predetermined frame," she said.
Yong also pushed back sharply against media coverage of the allegations. "This is not scrutiny — it is violence," she told reporters, urging them to "please find your reason." She added that coverage had continued to frame non-issues as problems, and that her clarifications had gone unreported.
She again drew a line against any suggestion she might withdraw. After the press conference, when a reporter noted that public opinion had turned against her, Yong said she believed she had been nominated because the appointing authority had expectations for her. "Regardless of public sentiment about the appointment, it is a logical leap to conclude that I would be unable to fulfill the role of minister," she said.
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