(2nd LD) Gender minister nominee withdraws from consideration amid mounting controversy

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SEOUL, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung's pick to lead the gender equality ministry withdrew from consideration Sunday amid growing criticism over a string of controversies, including her plan to retain her proportional representation parliamentary seat.

Rep. Yong Hye-in, the sole lawmaker of the minor Basic Income Party, announced her withdrawal during a news conference at the National Assembly, 14 days after being nominated to the Cabinet post.

"I am withdrawing from consideration as gender equality minister today, putting aside the resolve I had as a nominee to help build a gender-equal society for all," she said.

The presidential office said Sunday it respects Yong's decision to withdraw. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung said the office will make every effort in vetting and selecting a new nominee who meets public expectations.

Yong had been under pressure from both the opposition and some ruling bloc lawmakers to withdraw from consideration after she made clear her intention to keep her proportional representation seat in the National Assembly even if appointed to the Cabinet post.

Under current law, lawmakers can serve concurrently as Cabinet members, though proportional representatives have customarily given up their parliamentary seats to join the Cabinet, with the seats going to the next candidates in line on their party lists.

She has argued that resigning as a lawmaker would leave the Basic Income Party without parliamentary representation, citing that as a reason for seeking to retain both positions.

Yong said she had been asked by the Democratic Party to make a decision on her nomination, a clear sign that the ruling party was moving to withdraw political support for her amid falling approval ratings for Lee, particularly among people in their 20s and 30s in recent weeks.

A recent Gallup Korea poll showed 38 percent of respondents gave a positive assessment of Lee's job performance, the lowest since he took office in June last year.

The poll of 1,000 people aged 18 and older, conducted from Tuesday through Thursday, showed 61 percent viewed Yong's nomination as gender equality minister negatively.

Yong has also faced criticism over allegations of nepotism involving her husband and alleged ties to an underground left-leaning political group.

Gender Minister nominee Yong Hye-in announces her withdrawal during a news conference at the National Assembly on Sept. 13, 2026. (Yonhap)

sookim@yna.co.kr (END)

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(2nd LD) Gender minister nominee withdraws from consideration amid mounting controversy

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首尔，9月13日（韩联社）——由于一系列争议事件，包括她计划保留其比例代表制国会议员席位，李在明总统提名的性别平等部部长人选于周日退出考虑。

全国基本收入党唯一议员杨惠仁在被提名为内阁成员14天后，于国会新闻发布会上宣布退出竞选。

“我今天宣布退出性别平等部长的竞选，放弃了我作为候选人时帮助所有人建立一个性别平等社会的决心，”她说。

总统府周日表示尊重龙正熙退出竞选的决定。总统发言人姜裕贞表示，总统府将尽一切努力审查并选出一位符合公众期望的新候选人。

此前，杨祯熙曾明确表示，即使被任命为内阁成员，她也打算保留其在国民议会的比例代表席位，因此她受到了来自反对派和一些执政联盟议员的压力，要求她退出内阁人选的考虑。

根据现行法律，议员可以同时担任内阁成员，但按比例代表制选举产生的议员通常会放弃他们的议会席位加入内阁，而这些席位则留给他们所在政党名单上的下一位候选人。

她认为，辞去议员职务将使全民基本收入党失去议会席位，并以此为由寻求保留这两个职位。

杨表示，民主党已要求她就其提名做出决定，这清楚地表明，由于李在镕的支持率最近几周持续下降，尤其是在20多岁和30多岁的人群中，执政党正准备撤回对她的政治支持。

盖洛普韩国最近的一项民意调查显示，只有 38% 的受访者对李明博的工作表现给予了积极评价，这是他去年 6 月上任以来的最低评价。

这项于周二至周四进行的民意调查访问了 1000 名 18 岁及以上的人，结果显示 61% 的人对 Yong 被提名为性别平等部长持负面态度。

Yong还因其丈夫涉嫌裙带关系以及与一个地下左倾政治团体有联系而受到批评。

2026年9月13日，性别平等部长候选人杨惠仁在国会举行的新闻发布会上宣布退出竞选。（韩联社）

sookim@yna.co.kr (完)

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