Yong Hye-in’s Party Rejects Calls for Her to Resign Proportional Seat: “A New Precedent Is Being Created”

South Korea’s Basic Income Party has rejected calls for Yong Hye-in to give up her proportional-representation parliamentary seat as she prepares for a ministerial confirmation hearing. The party said it continues to demand that Yong retain the seat and is preparing for the hearing.

The dispute centers on established practice. When a proportional-representation lawmaker is appointed minister, the lawmaker has generally resigned and the next person on the party list has taken the seat. Yong, however, says she will remain in parliament because her resignation would leave the Basic Income Party without a parliamentary presence.

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From the party’s perspective, we continue to demand that nominee Yong Hye-in hold both positions.

At a press conference in Seoul’s Yeouido district, party spokesperson Noh Seo-young defended the position while responding to allegations involving the party’s financial and personnel operations. She acknowledged that many people say there has been no previous example of a lawmaker holding both positions, but argued that a new path must be tested to create a new precedent.

The party’s position was understood to mean that Yong has no intention of voluntarily resigning before the confirmation hearing. Noh said Yong was preparing for the hearing in good faith, while the debate over whether she can hold both posts continued.

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Many people say there has been no such case before, but every new path must be newly challenged and tried for a new precedent to be created.