70% of the Public Opposes Her Appointment, Poll Shows... Yong Hye-in Says, "I Will Focus Only on the People"

[Financial News] As negative public sentiment toward Yong Hye-in, nominee for minister of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, continues to grow, Yong has repeatedly expressed her determination to serve as minister, stressing, "I will focus only on the people and explain myself." The Democratic Party of Korea said, "Under the leadership, we are urgently gathering assessments and opinions from within and outside the party."
Yong reported to the office preparing for her confirmation hearing at the National Youth Policy Institute in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 11th. She said, "I am well aware of the various opinions about my political decisions, and I am listening to them seriously."
However, she stressed, "I ask that the facts be examined fairly regarding policy issues and the 'family party' and 'ghost office' allegations raised by the People Power Party." Asked about the issue of concurrently holding multiple offices, she only replied, "I will provide additional explanations where necessary."
Asked about reports that opposition to Yong's appointment as minister exceeds 70%, she said, "Since this was the first time I explained my position in more than 10 days after being nominated, I believe the public will take a closer look." She added, "Just as I carried out my legislative activities while trusting only the people, I will focus only on the people and explain the necessary points."
At a press conference the previous day, Yong expressed her intention to concurrently hold her proportional-representation seat in the National Assembly and the ministerial post. She argued, "The law allows National Assembly members to concurrently serve as members of the State Council. It is difficult to agree with applying a different principle only to proportional-representation lawmakers."
Regarding the matter, Park Seong-jun, chief spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, met with reporters after a Supreme Council meeting held at the Chungcheongbuk-do Provincial Government on the 11th. Asked whether the party planned to convey its position to the presidential office, he said, "We will assess Yong's candidacy seriously from the public's perspective."
[email protected] Kim Hee-sun Reporter