South Korean president’s cabinet reshuffle hits new snag as gender minister nominee quits

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s 36-year-old gender minister nominee stepped down before gaining confirmation of her position amid a public backlash over her suitability for the job in the latest negative fallout from the president’s cabinet reshuffle.

Yong Hye-in, a lawmaker of the minor Basic Income Party, pulled out of consideration for the position on Sunday after controversy erupted over her insistence that she would not give up her parliamentary seat while serving in the cabinet.

Yong said the ruling Democratic Party had urged her to make a decision, citing the custom that lawmakers elected through proportional representation vacate their seats when taking a cabinet post.

“A cabinet minister is expected to serve as a bridge between the government and the National Assembly and help foster cooperation. However, I concluded that it would be difficult to effectively fulfil that role when even the ruling party has expressed concerns,” Yong told reporters.

Yong’s withdrawal is the latest setback for Lee following a hasty cabinet reshuffle two weeks ago that was aimed at freshening up his administration and stopping a slide in public support.

Lee’s approval rating fell to a new low of 38 per cent, according to a Gallup Korea survey released on Friday. Among those who disapproved of Lee’s performance, 24 per cent cited housing while another 16 per cent pointed to the reshuffle. The poll showed 61 per cent of respondents viewed Yong as not qualified for the job while 13 per cent supported her.