Ministerial nominee Yong Hye-in reported over alleged political funds violations

Yong Hye-in, nominated to become South Korea’s minister of Gender Equality and Family, has been reported to police over the Basic Income Party’s special dues and her husband’s salary from the party.

Lee Jong-bae, a former Seoul city councilor, said he filed the complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency through the national petition system. He alleged that Yong appointed her husband, Park, to a paid party position including secretary-general, then paid 293.6 million won from her political funds to the party as special dues. If the party continued paying Park’s salary, Lee argued, the money could be viewed as having been transferred indirectly to Yong’s spouse through the party.

Reports had previously raised questions about Yong’s political spending between 2020 and 2024. Of the 503.96 million won she reportedly spent, 293.6 million won, or 58.4%, went to special party dues. Lee said using that form of payment to provide an economic benefit to her husband could amount to political funds being spent for an improper purpose, potentially violating Article 2, Paragraph 3 of the Political Funds Act.

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If Yong Hye-in appointed her husband Park as a paid party official and paid 293.6 million won from her political funds to the party as special dues, after which the party continuously paid her husband a salary, this could be viewed as indirectly transferring political funds to her spouse through the party.

Documents released by the office of People Power Party lawmaker Cho Ji-yeon show that Park was appointed secretary-general at the Basic Income Party’s first executive committee meeting on Jan. 22, 2020. Yong chaired the meeting, while Park attended as an observer. When Yong stepped down as party leader in March 2020 to run as a proportional-representation candidate for the United Future Party’s satellite party, Park also served as acting leader. He was reported to receive a monthly salary of about 3 million won this year.

Yong was reported separately the previous day over allegations of abuse of authority and violating the Public Official Election Act. A civic group claimed that she improperly used a VIP room at Gimpo Airport while travelling to Jeju with her family in March 2023. It also alleged an election law violation over a video filmed in May outside the campaign office of Basic Income Party candidate Park Eun-young in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, with Yong wearing clothing bearing the party’s name.

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If Yong Hye-in used the form of special party dues to provide an economic benefit to her spouse, the spending could be assessed as political funds used for an improper purpose and may have violated Article 2, Paragraph 3 of the Political Funds Act.