Democratic Party chief Kim Min-seok asks Gender Equality Minister nominee Yong Hye-in to step down voluntarily

Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok has asked Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Yong Hye-in to voluntarily withdraw from the candidacy, it was confirmed on the 13th. Kim Tae-sun, a Democratic Party lawmaker and the leader's chief of staff, said on Facebook that day, "I personally delivered the leader's recommendation to step down, which reflects the overall public sentiment, to nominee Yong." Kim explained, "While holding a proportional representative seat concurrently is not a legal violation, it did not fully align with public expectations and sentiments." In addition to the issue of holding both a proportional representative seat and a ministerial post, deteriorating public opinion — including a sharp drop in support among people in their 20s and 30s after her nomination — was cited as background.

Nominee Yong held a press conference on her resignation at the National Assembly's communications hall that day, saying, "The Democratic Party conveyed that it considered the public consensus on dual office-holding to be insufficient, and asked me to make a decision." With her withdrawal, she dropped out of consideration just 14 days after her nomination.

Some observers see the move as a strategy to avoid dividing the party's strength ahead of confirmation hearings and to focus support on Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won. On the 11th, leader Kim expressed his support for the nominee, saying, "The more I observe him, the better an appointment he seems." The National Assembly will hold confirmation hearings for six ministerial and special inspector nominees from the 15th to the 18th, with the hearing for Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won taking place on the 15th.

Lawmaker Kim Tae-sun added, "We hope nominee Yong will continue to play an important role in realizing the values of progressive politics and reforming the electoral system."