How S. Korea’s youngest minister nominee became lightning rod

How S. Korea's youngest minister nominee became lightning rod

Yong Hye-in, the leader of the minor Basic Income Party, was tapped to head the Gender Equality minister, but at the same time aiming to retain her PR seat in the National Assembly.

The logic behind her decision here is that, if she gives up her seat in the NA, her party would lose the political funds which the law stipulates, basically ending the life of her own party.

Politicans from both sides of the aisle have criticized her, and even someone in the liberal camp, who had run in its recent leadership contest, had come out and claimed that what she was doing would be perceived as greed (욕심) from the public.

I think this is such a niche case without a precedent, so it’s difficult to weigh all the angles to come at a clean resolution. There is nothing in the law that prevents her from doing this, but it somewhat is concerning that someone who is about to head a cabinet department will also be heading a party. The party is a small, one seat minor party in itself, but having two very much different executive positions is somewhat out of the ordinary.

Personally I think the potential accusation that it would be percieved as ‘greed’ or ‘taking more than what she can chew’ is somewhat unwarranted. If holding two executive positions is untenable as she carries out her duties to both of them, then it would consequently lead to the judgement of relinquishing one seat in order to better focus on the job of her choice. The perception, I think, the critics are raising are indicative of a 꼰대, older generation mentality. If she can juggle those two positions, let her! God forbid, if a young adult is working hard, there is no need to suggest that her vocation is one of greed.

As for her qualifications, I think her younger outlook would be a nice fit for the gender ministry, and because she had worked with LJM in the past, she would be able to fit in well with the current admin. The critics I feel are jumping the gun and are imagining a vindictive older-generation-public that percieves executive positions as one of power and not of accomplishment.

There is a concern about how she can juggle two positions at once, but to suggest that this is an act of political greed betrays to the public the values which the older generation and their politicans believe, that positions of power are not of utility for the public, but one of self-serving endeavors for the ego. The underlying values in which some of these politicans view the world is arguably a bigger concern, rather than Yong Hye-in’s predicament.

submitted by /u/Ok-Huckleberry5836
[link] [comments]

Latest News from Korea

Latest Entertainment from Korea

Learn People & History of Korea