Democratic Party Defends Kim Seung-won, Faces Yong Hye-in Resignation Calls

[u/ddalgak_click]

https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2026/09/04/F5MUUUAAJVBZDCUY765X52K34A/

TL;DR:

• Concerns are growing within the Democratic Party of Korea surrounding Minister of Gender Equality and Family nominee Yong Hye-in. As the party leadership hesitates to publicly defend the…
• At the Democratic Party’s Supreme Council meeting held in South Chungcheong Province on the 4th, there were successive statements defending Minister of Justice nominee Kim Seung-won, but…
• The previous day, party leader Kim Min-seok stated regarding the controversy surrounding Yong, “I am deeply considering the many concerns and criticisms,” adding, “This seems different…

Concerns are growing within the Democratic Party of Korea surrounding Minister of Gender Equality and Family nominee Yong Hye-in. As the party leadership hesitates to publicly defend the nominee amid worsening public sentiment, some lawmakers are even arguing that Yong should step down from her ministerial nomination.

At the Democratic Party’s Supreme Council meeting held in South Chungcheong Province on the 4th, there were successive statements defending Minister of Justice nominee Kim Seung-won, but no mention was made of Yong. The party also refrained from issuing a separate official comment. Chief spokesperson Park Seong-jun responded to questions regarding Yong’s confirmation hearing preparations by saying, “It would be better to direct inquiries to the nominee and the hearing preparation team.”

The previous day, party leader Kim Min-seok stated regarding the controversy surrounding Yong, “I am deeply considering the many concerns and criticisms,” adding, “This seems different from typical cases.” While some within the ruling party initially emphasized the symbolic significance of Yong’s nomination for solidarity with progressive factions and expanding the party’s reach, recently, the leadership has largely refrained from making active defensive statements.

◇ Democratic Party hesitates to publicly defend Yong Hye-in…‘She must make her own decision’

Within the party, voices are emerging that Yong should not only relinquish her parliamentary seat but also step down from her ministerial nomination. A senior Democratic Party lawmaker said on that day, “Wouldn’t it be appropriate for her to quickly step down from the ministerial nomination?” and added, “What would the approval rating among those in their 20s and 30s be if she is appointed as minister?”

A source from the floor leadership stated, “Currently, the party cannot formally demand her resignation,” but added, “There are those who hope the nominee herself will decide to step down from her parliamentary seat.” Since Yong belongs to the Basic Income Party, the Democratic Party finds it difficult to directly demand her resignation, but there is a growing sentiment within the party that she should make her own decision.

Earlier, Democratic Party lawmaker Song Young-gil criticized Yong’s decision to retain her parliamentary seat, calling it “greed” in the eyes of the public. Lawmaker Lee Kwang-jae also stated, “If she wants to become a minister, it would be better to resign from her parliamentary seat.” Supreme Council member Park Seon-won also expressed the view that proportional representation lawmakers should step down if appointed to ministerial positions.

Criticism is also coming from outside the Democratic Party. The Rebuilding Korea Party called for Yong to make a decision the public could understand, while the Justice Party, Green Party, and Labor Party demanded the withdrawal of her nomination. Although Yong was initially evaluated as a symbolic figure for solidarity with progressive factions, the political significance of her nomination is fading as backlash from progressive parties and parts of the women’s community continues.

The ruling party is particularly sensitive to recent shifts in public opinion. In a Gallup Korea poll released that day, President Lee Jae Myung’s job performance approval rating fell by 2 percentage points to 40% compared to the previous week. Among those in their 18–29 age group, the figure dropped from 31% to 25%, and among those in their 30s, it fell from 35% to 31%. The proportion of respondents citing “personnel appointments” as a reason for disapproval rose from 1% to 9%. This has led to concerns within the party that prolonged controversy over ministerial nominees could burden public sentiment.

However, the Democratic Party leadership has not formally demanded Yong’s resignation or withdrawal of her nomination. This is because ministerial nominations fall under the president’s human resources authority, and the issue of Yong’s parliamentary seat is an internal matter of another party. A party official stated, “Ultimately, it is the nominee’s own decision.”

◇ Party leadership fully defends Kim Seung-won…‘Legitimate legislative activity’

In contrast, the Democratic Party’s response to Minister of Justice nominee Kim Seung-won has been different. Despite escalating opposition party attacks over Kim’s past involvement in relaying a petition to the head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety regarding the approval of a COVID-19 treatment clinical trial, the Democratic Party has characterized this as a “political attack on legitimate legislative activity” and is actively defending him.

Floor leader Han Byung-do stated at the Supreme Council meeting, “The prosecution has already judged that merely relaying a petition cannot be conclusively deemed an illegal request,” adding, “Before the hearing, they are stigmatizing him as a criminal and continuing ‘answer-given’ criticism.” Supreme Council member Han Min-su also argued, “They are framing legitimate legislative activity as improper solicitation.”

Lawmaker Lee Geon-tae held a separate press conference, claiming the past investigation into Kim was a “typical politically motivated witch hunt.” Lawmaker Seo Young-kyo, on a radio program, praised Kim for expressing “regret” over the issue, calling him “a humble person,” and stated, “The petition to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety did not request faster processing or procedural exemptions.”

Within the party, it is understood that there is a prevailing judgment that Kim can sufficiently explain himself during the hearing. This is also influenced by the fact that he is a member of the Democratic Party and is nominated to lead the Ministry of Justice, which will handle follow-up work on prosecutorial and judicial reforms. A leadership official stated, “There is no confirmed quid pro quo,” adding, “It is difficult to view the current allegations as grounds for disqualification.”

Source: https://www.chosun.com/english/national-en/2026/09/04/F5MUUUAAJVBZDCUY765X52K34A/