"'Resignation Show' Will It Succeed?" Ruling Party Launches Offensive Against Yoon Hee-sook Over Father's Speculation Allegations

Yoon Hee-sook, a member of the People Power Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 25th to announce her resignation from the National Assembly and her decision not to run in the presidential election amid allegations of her father's violation of the Agricultural Land Act (left). Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, is seen shedding tears while trying to dissuade Yoon. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] The Democratic Party of Korea is launching an offensive against Yoon Hee-sook, a People Power Party lawmaker who announced her resignation and decision not to run in the presidential election amid allegations of her father's speculative land dealings, calling it a "transparent resignation show" and "deception of the public."

On the 25th, Democratic Party lawmaker Jeong Cheong-rae wrote on Facebook, "It is difficult to get elected as a member of the National Assembly, but it is also difficult to resign," adding, "There is a high chance this will end as a resignation show. Many lawmakers in the past have declared their resignation for various reasons, but there has been no successful case."

He further pointed out, "Voluntary resignation from the National Assembly is a matter for the plenary session's resolution," and "The Speaker of the National Assembly neither puts such a motion on the agenda nor is it likely to pass even if it is presented."

Fellow party member Shin Dong-geun criticized on Facebook, "Lawmaker Yoon is pretending to be a victim by threatening to resign," and said, "The resignation show by the People Power Party and Yoon is completely misguided in terms of public sentiment."

He added, "Yoon's father purchased land in Sejong City in 2016 while Yoon was working at KDI (Korea Development Institute) located in Sejong City," and "Yoon's father moved his address from Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, to Sejong City during the investigation period by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, then moved back to Dongdaemun-gu. It is suspicious whether Yoon tipped off his father about the investigation period." He concluded, "Instead of trying to divert attention with a resignation show, Yoon should first prove his innocence through the investigation results."

On the 25th, Yoon Hee-sook, a member of the People Power Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office to announce her resignation from the National Assembly and her decision not to run in the presidential election. Photo by Yonhap News.

Kim Nam-jun, spokesperson for Lee Jae-myung's campaign, also issued a statement on the same day, saying, "Concerns are being raised about the 'transparent resignation show,' which is nothing but a show while having no real intention to resign," and pointed out, "If there is a genuine intention to resign, one should submit a resignation letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly instead of playing to the media or holding press conferences."

He continued, "In a National Assembly speech on July 30 last year, Yoon claimed to be a 'tenant' and performed a 'commoner's cosplay,' but it was revealed just before the speech that he owned two houses, leading to criticism that he deceived the public with a show."

He also warned, "The public will not be fooled twice," and said, "If the 'transparent resignation show,' where Yoon only talks about resigning but maintains his seat due to party opposition, becomes a reality, the consequences of deceiving the sovereign again will not be simple."

Earlier, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) announced on the 23rd that 12 People Power Party lawmakers were suspected of illegal real estate dealings involving themselves or their families. Yoon was included on the list due to allegations of his father's violation of the Farmland Act.

The ACRC found that Yoon's father purchased 10,871 square meters of rice paddies in Sejong City in 2016 but did not farm the land himself, instead entrusting it to others and receiving seven sacks of rice annually, which suggests a violation of the Farmland Act.

Additionally, during this process, Yoon's father changed his registered address from Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, to Sejong City and then back to Dongdaemun-gu, which is considered a possible violation of the Resident Registration Act.

In response, Yoon said at a press conference, "What else could it be but an attempt by opposition lawmakers to tarnish my reputation by dragging in my father, with whom I have lived independently for 30 years?" However, he also expressed, "I could not help but feel a sense of crisis that this could undermine a key pillar of the presidential election battle by trivializing the rationale for regime change," and announced his intention to resign and not run in the presidential election.

However, some analysts note that since a lawmaker's resignation requires a vote in the plenary session with a majority of the total members present and a majority approval, the possibility of an actual resignation is considered low.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.