Minister of Gender Equality and Family nominee Yong Hye-in has been accused of violating the Political Funds Act.
Former Seoul city council member Lee Jong-bae said on the 3rd that he filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency accusing Yong of violating the Political Funds Act.
Lee argued that there are suspicions of illegal favoritism between the Basic Income Party's special party dues payment records, for which nominee Yong serves as leader, and the salary that Yong's husband received while working as a party official at the Basic Income Party.
He added, "According to the 2020–2024 political funds income and expenditure details that nominee Yong submitted to the National Election Commission, Yong used a total of 5.03959785 billion won in political funds, and of that, 293.6 million won (58.3%) was allocated to the party as special party dues."
He went on, "Park, the spouse of nominee Yong, has received a salary from the Basic Income Party averaging nearly 3 million won per month since 2020," and "Article 2, Paragraph 3 of the Political Funds Act provides that 'political funds shall not be expended as private expenses or for improper purposes.'"
The point is that if nominee Yong paid a large sum of political funds as special party dues and the party then continued to pay a salary to Yong's husband, it could be seen as indirectly allocating political funds to a spouse through the party.
Lee said, "There is a possibility of violating the Political Funds Act, as it may be evaluated as political fund expenditure for private expenses described by Supreme Court precedent as 'support or assistance to the household,' or as an 'improper purpose' contrary to social norms."
He added, "I hope investigative authorities will, through a thorough investigation, uncover the substantive truth of this case so that political funds are not abused for private gain, and, if criminal charges are revealed, impose severe punishment on nominee Yong."
The civic group Committee for the Livelihoods of Ordinary People also filed a complaint with police the previous day accusing nominee Yong of abuse of authority and violating the Public Official Election Act, among other charges. It took issue with Yong's alleged use of an airport VIP lounge, available only while performing official duties, during a past family trip, and with posting on social media (SNS) a photo taken while wearing clothing bearing the party name ahead of the 9th nationwide local elections held simultaneously (the June 3 local elections).