{
  "id": 6718446,
  "title": "Nominee becomes liability",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/nominee-becomes-liability",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-11T06:37:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/opinion/editorial/20260911/ed-nominee-becomes-liability"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "President Lee Jae Myung's selection of Rep. Yong Hye-in from his minor Basic Income Party as gender equality minister has created a political crisis. Recent Gallup poll data, published on Friday, revealed that Lee's approval rating has dropped to a record low of 38 percent, a two-point decrease from the previous week. The agency attributed this decline to Lee's unpopular housing policy (24 percent) and personnel decisions (16 percent) as the main reasons for the drop in support. Yong Hye-in's presence in this situation only serves to further tarnish Lee's approval ratings. Critics argue that her refusal to resign from her parliamentary position, even after her nomination to the Cabinet, violates the convention that lawmakers appointed to Cabinet roles must relinquish their seats. Moreover, Hye-in is facing significant criticism for running her minor party more like a family business than a political organization. Her behavior during a press conference on Thursday was particularly contentious; she appeared impatient and repeatedly interrupted a journalist questioning her qualifications for the Cabinet role.",
  "summary": "President Lee Jae Myung’s decision to nominate Rep. Yong Hye-in of the minor Basic Income Party as gender equality minister has become a political quagmire. In the latest Gallup poll released Friday, Lee’s approval rating fell further to a record low of 38 percent, down two percentage points from the previous week. The polling agency cited, among other factors, the Lee administration’s unpopular…",
  "key_points": [
    "President Lee Jae Myung chose Rep. Yong Hye-in as gender equality minister.",
    "Lee's approval rating fell to 38%, citing unpopular housing policy and personnel decisions.",
    "Hye-in's refusal to resign from parliamentary position draws criticism."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The nomination of Rep. Yong Hye-in as gender equality minister compounds President Lee Jae Myung's troubles, fuelling criticism of his judgement and further eroding his already low approval ratings.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Nominee becomes liability",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/nominee-becomes-liability-6724129",
        "published": "2026-09-11T07:42:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}