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.
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.
