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Na Kyung-won accuses Yong Hye-in of holding seat to protect 1.1 billion won in party funding
🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

Na Kyung-won accuses Yong Hye-in of holding seat to protect 1.1 billion won in party funding

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Na Kyung-won alleged that ministerial nominee Yong Hye-in is retaining her proportional-representation parliamentary seat to prevent her party from losing about 1.1 billion won in state subsidies.
  • Na criticized the semi-linked proportional representation system that enabled Yong to enter parliament and called her nomination a constitutional disaster.
  • The National Election Commission’s acting secretary-general said the matter would be reviewed, while People Power Party satellite parties also contested recent elections.

People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won accused Basic Income Party lawmaker Yong Hye-in of refusing to give up her proportional-representation seat because doing so could cost her party about 1.1 billion won in state subsidies.

She is not resigning now because she is afraid of losing 1.1 billion won a year.

— Na Kyung-wonNa accused Yong Hye-in of retaining her proportional-representation seat to protect state party subsidies.

Yong has been nominated as minister of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Na argued that the Basic Income Party could lose its eligibility for party subsidies if it became an extra-parliamentary party, and linked that possibility to Yong’s decision to retain her seat.

Speaking at a full meeting of the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, Na questioned Kang Dong-wan, the National Election Commission’s acting secretary-general, about the semi-linked proportional representation system that allowed Yong to enter parliament. Na called the system an improper political deal designed to increase the seats held by smaller parties aligned with the Democratic Party.

I regard Yong Hye-in’s nomination as a constitutional disaster born of the collusion surrounding the semi-linked proportional representation system.

— Na Kyung-wonNa criticized the electoral system that enabled Yong to enter parliament.

Na also criticized the satellite parties used in the 21st and 22nd general elections, saying Yong had won a seat through Democratic Party votes before taking part in what she described as a staged expulsion. She asked whether the system was operating as originally intended. Kang replied that the system had been determined through legislative and policy decisions in the National Assembly and said he would review Na’s concerns.

That was determined through legislative and policy decisions in the National Assembly.

— Kang Dong-wanThe National Election Commission’s acting secretary-general responded to Na’s criticism of the electoral system.

Na said a nominee for a cabinet post normally gives up a proportional-representation seat and called Yong’s decision an obvious loss to the national treasury. The article also notes that People Power Party-affiliated satellite parties, Future Korea Party and People’s Future, were created for the same two elections to secure proportional-representation seats.

I will review that matter.

— Kang Dong-wanKang responded after Na urged the commission to seek improvements to the electoral system.
About this summary

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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