Seoul: Gender Minister nominee Yong Hye-in on Thursday reiterated her intention to retain her National Assembly seat, stressing that lawmakers are allowed to concurrently serve as Cabinet members by law.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the remarks came amid growing calls for Yong to give up her parliamentary seat after she earlier stated her intention to keep her seat even after joining the Cabinet. "The law allows lawmakers to concurrently serve as Cabinet members," she emphasized during a press conference at the National Assembly.

Under current legislation, lawmakers can double as members of the Cabinet, though proportional representatives have customarily relinquished their parliamentary seats to join the Cabinet, passing on the post to the next candidate in line on the proportional representation list. Yong, who is currently the sole lawmaker of the minor Basic Income Party, asserted that she would retain her Assembly seat even if she becomes minister, noting that her party would lose its parliamentary representation should she resign.

"It is difficult to simply apply past convention to my case, as I am the first sitting opposition lawmaker to be nominated for a Cabinet post since the coalition between Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-pil," Yong remarked, alluding to the political alliance formed between the two leaders ahead of the 1997 presidential election.

Yong further explained that she accepted the nomination due to her commitment to gender equality, prioritizing national service over personal gain. "If I had put my personal achievements first, I would not have accepted the ministerial post to serve the country and the people," she stated.

Meanwhile, the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) remain in disagreement over the date of Yong's confirmation hearing. A scheduled meeting of the National Assembly's gender equality and family committee on Thursday was canceled due to disputes over who should be summoned for the hearing.

Yong expressed regret over the delay in setting a hearing date, indicating that she had been preparing to address all allegations surrounding her. "It is regrettable that even those within the DP seem to be swayed by baseless speculation and malicious accusations, though the PPP's unreasonable demands may be the root cause," she commented.