Kim Haeng Opposed Even by Jeon Yeo-ok... "May Resign Sooner Than Cho Kuk"

"Female Version of Asura... Appointment Must Be Withdrawn"

As prospects emerged that President Yoon Suk-yeol would push forward with the appointment of Kim Haeng, the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, voices from the conservative camp also called for the withdrawal of Kim's nomination.

Former Saenuri Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) lawmaker Jeon Yeo-ok wrote on her blog on the night of the 8th, "President Yoon is said to be pushing ahead with Kim's appointment for a direct breakthrough, but withdrawing the nomination would be the true direct breakthrough."

Kim Haeng, Minister of Gender Equality and Family nominee, responding to a lawmaker's question [Photo by Yonhap News]

Jeon said, "The hearing for Kim was, in a word, a 'female version of Asura.' The public must have thought, 'Women are grabbing each other's hair and fighting in the middle of the market.' The women fighting in such a disgraceful and crude manner were the country's lawmakers and the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family."

She continued, "Kwon In-sook, chairwoman of the Gender Equality Committee, insulted women herself and conducted the hearing with bias. The Democratic Party female lawmakers, who have always been the front runners of their camp, did not disappoint this time either," but added, "The real problem was Kim. She could not defend herself at all against the allegations. She only repeated evasive answers regarding 'stock parking,' 'internet media reports,' and 'coin allegations.'"

She also said, "What was even more outrageous were the People Power Party members who proposed 'breaking up the hearing.' They gave an absurd justification to the Democratic Party female lawmakers' fight," adding, "They showed the public a truly disgraceful sight. The disruption of the hearing was not just improper but a trick."

She said, "Kim could not even stay until the end of the hearing, so how can she keep the ministerial position?" and "She might resign even faster than Cho Kuk, who stepped down after 35 days. I request that Kim voluntarily withdraw."

She emphasized, "Yoo In-chon, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is competent, and Shin Won-sik, Minister of National Defense, is a security expert, but Kim is not," adding, "Withdrawing Kim's nomination is the right thing to do. President Yoon would not be losing but winning."

Former Assemblywoman Jeon Yeo-ok [Photo by Yonhap News]

Earlier, on the 5th, the parliamentary hearing on Kim's nomination by the National Assembly's Gender Equality Committee ended in disruption after repeated clashes between opposition lawmakers demanding additional documents and Kim refusing to comply.

Kim and People Power Party lawmakers collectively walked out in protest against Chairwoman Kwon In-sook's remark, "If you maintain that attitude, resign."

In response, Park Sung-jun, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said at a National Assembly briefing, "From fleeing the hearing to the controversy over holding coins, it is a department store of allegations," and criticized, "If the government and ruling party push forward with Kim's appointment, it will once again prove that this administration's personnel appointments are a sieve and that it thoroughly disregards the people."

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