Gender minister nominee reiterates intention to maintain Assembly seat

Gender Minister candidate Yong Hye-in has reaffirmed her commitment to maintaining her seat in the National Assembly on Thursday. She emphasized that the law permits lawmakers to hold positions in both the Assembly and the Cabinet simultaneously. This clarification came as there has been a surge of requests for Yong to relinquish her parliamentary position following her initial declaration that she would remain in the Assembly even after assuming a Cabinet role.

During a press conference at the National Assembly, Yong clarified that while the law allows dual roles for lawmakers, proportional representatives typically step down from their parliamentary seats when they join the Cabinet, transferring the position to the following candidate on the proportional representation list. Currently, Yong is the sole representative from the minor Basic Income Party.

She previously announced her intention to retain her Assembly seat even if she becomes a minister, stating that should she resign from her lawmaker role, her party would transform into a non-parliamentary entity. Yong noted that it is challenging to apply previous conventions to her case, as she is the first opposition lawmaker to hold an Assembly seat while serving in the Cabinet.