PPP Claims Kim Hyun-ji Behind Yong Hye-in's Refusal to Resign

The People Power Party (PPP) claimed that Kim Hyun-ji, first deputy chief of staff at the presidential office and a close aide to President Lee Jae-myung, stands behind Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Yong Hye-in's refusal to step down, as the ruling and opposition parties' sparring over the nomination spread on the 5th to the president's personnel affairs involving his inner circle. The trigger was a remark made the previous day on a YouTube broadcast by Seo Yong-ju, head of the Maek Political and Social Research Institute and a former full-time deputy spokesperson of the Democratic Party, who said, "The personnel line is Kim Hyun-ji, isn't it?" Once the remark surfaced, the PPP launched an offensive over "personnel manipulation" (meaning a specific individual unilaterally dictating appointments), while the Democratic Party rebutted it as "a conspiracy theory built on delusion."

PPP Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk said in a Facebook post on the 5th, "It seemed odd from the moment President Lee inexplicably named Yong Hye-in as the minister nominee." Citing the remark by Seo of the Maek Political and Social Research Institute, he claimed, "Yong Hye-in did not just come out of nowhere — this is Deputy Chief of Staff Kim Hyun-ji's 'leftist cartel' buildup." Jang added, "Her refusal to give up her proportional representation seat — surely the presidential office knew. Deputy Chief Kim must have known. Since it was a matter of looking after 'the organization,' they probably turned a blind eye." In a commentary, PPP senior spokesperson Park Sung-hoon criticized the appointments in this second-term cabinet reshuffle as "the worst ever," saying they amounted to a personnel disaster and personnel manipulation that went beyond mere failure. Park demanded the immediate withdrawal of the nomination of an unqualified candidate and an apology before the public. Yoon Sang-hyun, a five-term lawmaker, also asked on Facebook, "Why on earth does the name Kim Hyun-ji — someone outside the official personnel line — keep recurring in appointment-related controversies?" He urged, "If there is private interference outside the official personnel line, cut it off immediately. If there is none, lay out the facts in full so the public can be convinced."

The Democratic Party's rebuttal was immediate. Party spokesperson Lee Yong-woo said in a written briefing, "The person who made the YouTube remark clarified that it was a joke, and the broadcaster also set the record straight, noting that personnel matters at the presidential office are handled by the senior presidential secretary for personnel," adding, "Conspiracy-theory politics must stop at once." He pointed out, "The tactic of twisting a retracted joke into a 'confession' and slapping on labels like 'power behind the throne,' 'Gyeonggi Eastern Union,' and 'leftist cartel' to complete a grand conspiracy is a carbon copy of the rigged-election delusion." The spokesperson noted that PPP Chairman Jang had shouted for a fresh election over alleged election fraud at a rally at Olympic Park, and said that stretching ballot shortages or election management problems into claims of organized election fraud undermines public trust in elections and only deepens social conflict. "Conspiracy theories built on delusions about the nominee cannot substitute for proper vetting," he criticized, adding, "The level of awareness shown by the main opposition leader is dismaying."

Minister nominee Yong Hye-in reported on the 4th to the office set up in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, to prepare for her confirmation hearing. She is continuing her preparations for the hearing while rejecting calls to step down.