Yong Hye-in, who called for the abolition of “parasite parties,” also received 70 million won in employment subsidies

[Financial News] The Basic Income Party, to which lawmaker Yong Hye-in, nominated as minister of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, belongs, has been found to have received more than 72 million won in various employment subsidies since its founding. Critics are accusing Yong of hypocrisy because six years ago she called parties receiving state subsidies “parasite parties” and argued that the subsidies should be abolished.

The Chosun Ilbo reported on the 4th that, according to an analysis of the Basic Income Party’s annual accounting reports submitted to the National Election Commission by the office of Kim So-hee, a People Power Party lawmaker, the party received more than 72 million won in various employment subsidies from 2020 through last year. The annual amounts ranged from as little as 770,000 won to as much as 21 million won.
The Basic Income Party reportedly received the funds under programs including the Special Employment Promotion Subsidy, the Employment Stability Fund, and the Youth Employment Leap Incentive.
Kim criticized the party, saying, “A party that already receives state subsidies also took tens of millions of won in youth employment support funds intended for small businesses. Isn’t this double-dipping on taxpayers’ money?”
Since its founding, the Basic Income Party had received roughly 10 million won in state subsidies each quarter. Starting in the third quarter of this year, however, it began receiving more than 270 million won in subsidies.
The Basic Income Party and the Ministry of Employment and Labor said the subsidies were “legally unproblematic.”

However, the Basic Income Party’s position six years ago was different from its current stance. In February 2020, the party posted a statement and photographs on its website under the headline, “Abolish state subsidies that produce parasite parties and introduce a basic political income.” The edited image, parodying the poster for the film “Parasite,” showed Yong Hye-in standing alongside other participants while holding a sign that read, “Abolish state subsidies and introduce a basic political income.”
In its statement, the Basic Income Party argued, “Parasite politics aimed at securing state subsidies is being repeated,” adding, “In particular, many political forces gather and split according to their calculations of state subsidies ahead of elections.”
It continued, “Although the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea has been so dysfunctional that it has been called an ‘animal National Assembly,’ subsidies are paid in full whether lawmakers work or not.” The party proposed, “Instead of parasite politics in which political forces gather and split according to subsidies, let us distribute state subsidies to the public and introduce an annual basic political income of 100,000 won so that citizens can participate directly in politics.”

However, these past claims contrast with the reason Yong Hye-in gave when she announced on Facebook on the 31st of last month, the day after being nominated as minister of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, that she would retain her proportional-representation seat.
Yong effectively refused to resign, saying on Facebook, “If I, the only lawmaker from the party, resign, the Basic Income Party would face the difficulty of becoming an extra-parliamentary party.”
Article 29 of the National Assembly Act allows lawmakers to concurrently serve as members of the Cabinet, so Yong Hye-in would not be legally required to resign her seat even if she becomes a minister. However, when a proportional-representation lawmaker joins the Cabinet, resigning so that the next candidate in line can succeed to the seat has become a political convention intended to minimize a legislative vacancy.
[email protected] Kim Su-yeon Reporter