DPK Urgently Gathers Opinions on Yong Hye-in’s Future—Will It Decide Before Confirmation Hearing?

[Financial News] The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said on the 11th that it was "urgently gathering opinions" from inside and outside the party regarding the future of Yong Hye-in, nominee for minister of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. The statement came one day after Yong held a press conference to directly rebut various allegations against her. With the party leadership publicly seeking opinions, attention is focused on whether her status will be decided before the parliamentary confirmation hearing.
Park Seong-jun, chief spokesperson of the DPK, met with reporters after a Supreme Council meeting held at the Chungcheongbuk-do Provincial Government that day. Asked whether the party planned to convey its position on Yong’s nomination to Cheong Wa Dae, he said, "We will view Yong’s case strictly from the perspective of the public," adding, "The leadership is urgently gathering assessments and opinions from inside and outside the party."
When asked whether the position reflected the outcome of discussions at a closed-door Supreme Council meeting, Park avoided a direct answer, saying, "Please take it as stated," and, "It would not be appropriate to add anything to it."
The DPK’s shift in tone came immediately after Yong held a 34-minute press conference the previous day, strongly rebutting allegations of preferential treatment and controversy over allegedly turning the party into a personal organization. Yong addressed the allegations one by one, saying, "Reports continue to describe things as problems even though they are not problems."
Within the party, however, calls are growing for Yong to decide her own future. The prevailing view is that she fueled the controversy by focusing on appealing her sense of unfair treatment rather than taking public sentiment into account, despite considerable criticism.
Particular attention is being paid to the fact that DPK leader Kim Min-seok publicly defended Kim Seung-won, nominee for minister of the Ministry of Justice, at the open Supreme Council meeting, saying that his confirmation hearing "could proceed smoothly," while making no notable mention of Yong. The difference in the ruling camp’s leadership’s treatment of the two nominees, both facing an intensive opposition campaign to block their appointments, has become even more apparent.
Cheong Wa Dae had initially maintained that Yong, too, needed an opportunity to explain herself through a parliamentary confirmation hearing. However, the situation could change as the DPK leadership refers to "the standards of the public" and begins urgently gathering opinions.
Observers say the party could convey the opinions it gathers to Cheong Wa Dae in the coming days and proceed to resolve Yong’s status before the confirmation hearing is held. If public sentiment toward Yong deteriorates further, the political burden of carrying the matter through to a hearing is also something the ruling camp will have no choice but to consider.

[email protected] Kim Kyung-min Reporter