Unprecedented 'Satellite Party Proportional Re-election'... Yong Hye-in Invites Criticism

There is growing criticism against Yong Hye-in, the Standing Election Countermeasures Committee Chair of the New Progressive Alliance (and Standing Representative of the Basic Income Party), who has claimed the "satellite party proportional representation re-election." Chair Yong justified her decision as a choice to maintain the Basic Income Party's domain amid "established power parties."

According to the opposition on the 7th, the New Progressive Alliance convened its Central Election Countermeasures Committee on the 5th and recommended three candidates for proportional representation: Chair Yong Hye-in, Han Chang-min, co-representative of the Social Democratic Party, and Choi Hyuk-jin, former Secretary for Social Economy at the Blue House. The candidate selection will be finalized through the Party Affairs Committee on the 8th and the National Delegate Convention on the 9th. Unless there are major changes, their names will be listed as is. A candidate send-off ceremony is already scheduled for the 9th.

Yong Hye-in, the Standing Representative of the Basic Income Party, is holding a press conference related to the Reform United New Party at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 15th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

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The New Progressive Alliance is an electoral coalition comprising the Basic Income Party, led by Chair Yong, the Social Democratic Party, and the Open Democratic Party. It participates as one faction of the satellite party "The Democratic Alliance," led by the Democratic Party of Korea. The Democratic Alliance has decided to place 30 candidates for proportional representation. The New Progressive Alliance and the Progressive Party each nominate three candidates, the Coalition Political Citizens' Meeting nominates four candidates, and the Democratic Party fills the remaining 20 slots. Within the top 20, who are likely to be elected, 10 candidates will be from the Democratic Party and the other 10 from the remaining factions.

Chair Yong also secured a seat in the National Assembly during the 21st general election by receiving the 5th spot on the Democratic Party’s satellite party, The Citizen Party, for proportional representation. She later returned to the Basic Income Party through a form of expulsion. Although her ranking on this proportional representation list has not yet been determined, since all New Progressive Alliance slots are expected to be within the winning range, Chair Yong is highly likely to be re-elected as a proportional representative.

"Re-election as a proportional representative" is rare. Since the introduction of the party vote system in the 17th general election, only two politicians have achieved this: former lawmaker Song Young-seon (17th Saenuri Party, 18th Pro-Park Alliance) and Lee Tae-gyu of the People Power Party (20th?21st People’s Party). Expanding the category to include re-election rather than consecutive terms, there are a few others such as former lawmakers Kim Jin-ae (18th Unified Democratic Party, 21st Open Democratic Party), Park Sun-sook (18th Unified Democratic Party, 20th People’s Party), and Lee Ja-smin of the Green Justice Party (19th Saenuri Party, 21st Justice Party). There is also Kim Jong-in, Chair of the Reform New Party’s Nomination Committee, who served five terms as a proportional representative, but considering that the two major parties recruited him as "election general manager" during crises, it is difficult to compare directly on the same level.

Moreover, Chair Yong is running for proportional re-election solely as a member of the "Democratic Party’s satellite party," which has intensified criticism. Some have pointed out that her concurrent role as the Standing Election Countermeasures Committee Chair overseeing the election amounts to "self-nomination." Political commentator Kim Sang-il told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "A young politician shamelessly engages in the same old power-hungry behavior typical of old politicians," adding, "If she already benefited in the last general election, she should challenge a district seat or recruit juniors or new figures to spread her political value." He further criticized it as "a typical case of parasitic politics clinging to a major party."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, shakes hands with Yong Hye-in, standing representative of the Basic Income Party, who was appointed as the head of the advisory group, at the 'Metropolitan Basic Social Committee Chairperson Appointment Ceremony' held at the National Assembly on the 1st. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

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In response to the mounting criticism, Chair Yong posted on Facebook the day before, stating it was a "choice for the Basic Income Party." She said, "Since deciding to enter politics, I have never chosen the 'easy path' even for a moment," and described it as "a difficult decision made after long deliberation with party colleagues as the leader of a small progressive party, where it is hard to even hold a microphone or appear in the news amid huge established power parties."

Meanwhile, according to a party support survey released the day before by polling firm Embrain Public, when asked about the party for proportional representation voting, the Future of the People (satellite party of the People Power Party) received 30%, the Democratic Party-affiliated proportional party (The Democratic Alliance) 21%, and the Innovation Party led by Cho Kuk up to 15%. The Reform New Party received 4%, the New Future Party and the Green Justice Party each 2%, and 19% responded that they "do not support any party."

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