(profile) Basic income advocate tapped as gender equality minister

Seoul, August 30 (Yonhap) - Yong Hye-in, a lawmaker with a two-term tenure advocating for universal basic income, has been nominated as the new head of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, according to Yonhap news agency. As the leader of the Basic Income Party, Yong, who is 36 years old, has consistently championed the cause of social minorities and labor rights.

Born in 1990 in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, Yong declared her intention to enter politics following the Sewol ferry disaster in 2014, which claimed over 300 lives. Witnessing the families of the victims protest for a special law to investigate the tragedy, she organized a silent rally in support of the victims and condemned the government's response, leading to her indictment and a fine of 1 million won.

In 2020, Yong founded the Basic Income Party, seeking to provide every citizen with a monthly universal basic income of 600,000 won. The same year, she entered the 21st National Assembly as a proportional representative. Yong's friendly relationship with President Lee Jae Myung is rooted in their shared belief in the importance of basic income.

During the recent presidential election, she co-chaired the central campaign committee that contributed to Lee's victory. The nomination of Yong marks her as the first minister from the 1990s generation in the Lee administration.