As Yong Hye-in Digs In on Dual Posts, Even the Ruling Party Urges Review of Personnel Vetting

Over the controversy surrounding Yong Hye-in, the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, holding the ministerial post and a proportional representation seat in the National Assembly concurrently, assessments emerged even within the ruling Democratic Party of Korea on the 3rd that Cheong Wa Dae's personnel vetting—the process of scrutinizing a candidate's qualifications and record—had fallen short. DPK leader Kim Min-seok, appearing on the YouTube program 'Minti07' that day, said of the nominee's dual-post controversy, "I am listening to a great deal of concern and criticism and thinking it over deeply," adding, "I am in a position of hearing various views and watching how things unfold." He went on, "What is at issue this time is a matter of judgment on facts that were already public even without a confirmation hearing, so it seems unlike the usual case," and "The many voices of the public deserve respect, and this needs to be given serious thought."

DPK Rep. Yun Geon-young, speaking on MBC radio on the 3rd, said, "While district lawmakers win their seats through the choice of local residents, proportional representatives enter the National Assembly on the strength of their expertise," adding, "Being appointed to the cabinet as minister means being asked to put that expertise to work in the executive branch, and by convention it has been seen as difficult to take on both roles at once." He added, "This is a matter of personnel vetting," saying, "I think this is an opportunity to take a fresh look at the (Cheong Wa Dae's) vetting standards."

The main opposition People Power Party tied the nominee's dual-post controversy to the issue of 'sloppy personnel vetting' and aimed its criticism at Cheong Wa Dae. Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo demanded on Facebook, "President Lee Jae-myung must clarify whether he knew of Yong's intention to keep both posts when he nominated her." He wrote, "If he knew and still named her, he is an accomplice steeped in privilege along with her; if he did not know, he is guilty of incompetence that disregards the public's standards."

In a written statement, PPP spokesperson Cho Yong-sul cited past controversies involving the nominee, including her alleged personal use of an airport VIP room, and criticized, "The very act of picking someone already mired in scandal as the minister nominee is proof of the appointing authority's shoddy handling of personnel."