People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk on the 5th named Kim Hyun-ji, first deputy chief of staff at the presidential office, as the force behind Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Yong Hye-in's refusal to give up her proportional representation seat in the National Assembly, calling it a "leftist cartel buildup."
Writing on his Facebook page on the 5th, Jang said he had been puzzled from the moment President Lee Jae-myung "abruptly nominated" Yong. He described Yong as "a figure who was active in an 'underground organization' of the Workers' Party that aimed at communist revolution," and cited her support for homosexuality in the military, her advocacy of a non-consent rape provision and her push for fast-track approval of "abortion pills." "They said they would look after the left, but this is too far left. Isn't this the far-left edge?" he wrote.
"Yesterday the reason for it popped out," he continued, referring to remarks by Seo Yong-joo, head of the Mac Institute for Politics and Society and a former standing deputy spokesperson for the Democratic Party, during pre-recording preparations for JTBC's "Genre: Yeouido" the previous day. Seo said, "The personnel line is Kim Hyun-ji, isn't it," which Jang characterized as a confession. Both Seo and JTBC expressed regret over the remark, but Jang said, "It's something you can't say on air, so it must have been said before the broadcast."
Of Kim, Jang said she is "the person behind 'all roads lead to Hyun-ji,' the power behind the throne at the presidential office," adding that "not only her school but even her hometown is shrouded in a veil. Allegations of ties to the Gyeonggi Dongbu Alliance have also been raised." He speculated: "Yong's refusal to give up her proportional seat — could the presidential office not have known? Kim would have known. Since it was a matter of looking after the 'organization,' she would have chosen to turn a blind eye."
"Yong does not look likely to step back quietly. With a powerful insider backing her, she seems ready to hold out to the end," he said. "It is infuriating, but in a way, thank you. In the end, they will all collapse at once."
