In response to media reports that the Democratic Party of Korea leadership conveyed an "unqualified" opinion on Minister of Gender Equality and Family nominee Yong Hye-in to the Blue House, the Blue House said on the 8th that it was "not true at all."
A senior Blue House official told the press corps that day, "The Blue House has not received any request from the party leadership to withdraw the nomination or to step down (regarding nominee Yong)," adding as above.
Another Blue House official accompanying President Lee Jae-myung on a state visit to France also met reporters in Paris on the 7th (local time) and said, in principle, that a confirmation hearing should be held.
The official said, "I understand that the confirmation hearing system itself is a process of public vetting of the nominee," adding, "Since the nominee was named through the personnel system under the responsibility of the personnel chief, there should be a confirmation hearing."
The official added that the personnel vetting system would be established and strengthened so that it meets public expectations.
Public criticism over unfairness has grown as nominee Yong stuck to keeping the proportional-representation lawmaker seat despite controversy over concurrently holding the lawmaker and Minister posts, and multiple suspicions were raised, including the "privatization" of the Basic Income Party. In particular, criticism has reached a peak after Yong's husband, Park Gi-hong, placed third in the Supreme Council election on the 7th, in which three of the four candidates are chosen.