Gender minister nominee reiterates intention to maintain Assembly seat

Gender Minister nominee Yong Hye-in reiterated on Thursday her intention to retain her National Assembly seat, emphasizing that lawmakers are legally permitted to hold both positions simultaneously. Her comments came as calls intensified for her to relinquish her parliamentary seat following her previous statement that she would maintain her seat even after joining the Cabinet.

During a press conference at the National Assembly, Yong clarified that the law permits lawmakers to concurrently serve as Cabinet members. She explained that, while proportional representatives typically abandon their parliamentary seats upon becoming Cabinet members, passing the position to the next candidate on the proportional representation list, her situation is unique.

Yong, who currently serves as the sole lawmaker from the minor Basic Income Party, previously declared her commitment to retaining her Assembly seat, even if she assumes the ministerial role. She noted that should she resign as a lawmaker, her party would transition into a non-parliamentary one.

Yong acknowledged that it is challenging to apply traditional conventions to her specific case, as she is the first sitting opposition lawmaker to face this situation.