Park Ji-won: "Yong Hye-in's resignation — Blue House personnel line must take responsibility"

Yong Hye-in, the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, withdrew her candidacy on Tuesday, just two weeks after her nomination. In a Facebook post that day, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Ji-won described the resignation as "lamentable" and argued that the Blue House personnel line bears responsibility.

Writing on Facebook on the 13th, Park reflected, "Why has the Democratic Party become one that uses a bulldozer where a hoe would have sufficed?" He said, "If all the criticism is directed at the President, then the responsibility lies with the Blue House personnel line." Park added, "I too had hoped for and defended the appointment of a young progressive female politician in her 30s, but as I watched the process unfold, I advised that a politician must step down if the public opposes, regardless of the reason." He went on to say, "It is lamentable, but I pay tribute to Representative Yong's resolve."

In the same Facebook post, Park held the Blue House accountable for its failed vetting of appointees. "Personnel appointments require care not only in the recommendation and selection stages but also in thorough vetting," he stressed. He pointed out, "Of the seven nominees put forward this time, even on matters as relatively easy to verify as real estate, they raised the public's eyebrows."

Park also had words for his own party, saying, "The Democratic Party, too, must watch its words." "As a senior member, I feel responsible myself. I apologize to the people," he said.

Yong held a press conference herself at the National Assembly's press center that day to explain her resignation. "With even the ruling party expressing concerns, it is realistically difficult to carry out the duties of the post," she said, noting that there was insufficient public consensus on holding both a proportional representation seat and a ministerial post, and announced she would give up her ministerial nomination. It is the first case of a nominee falling through ahead of a National Assembly confirmation hearing since the Lee Jae-myung government took office.

In a statement, Blue House Senior Presidential Secretary for Press Affairs Kang Yu-jung said, "We respect the nominee's decision," adding, "We will do our utmost in vetting and appointments to ensure personnel choices meet the public's expectations." With Yong's withdrawal, the number of appointees under the Lee Jae-myung government nominated but never sworn in has risen to four, following former nominees Lee Jin-sook (Education), Kang Sun-woo (Gender Equality and Family), and Lee Hye-hoon (Budget) — all of them women.