Reason Behind the Opposition's 'Kkachibap' Commentary on Kim Haeng's Voluntary Resignation

Kim Haeng "Decision made with a spirit of putting the party first as a party member"
Kim Geun-sik "Yongsan also deeply shocked by this defeat"

In the by-election for the mayor of Gangseo District, Seoul, where the ruling party suffered a crushing defeat by a double-digit margin, Kim Haeng, the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, voluntarily withdrew her candidacy. During the confirmation hearing process, Kim faced allegations of stock parking and controversy over leaving the National Assembly hearing prematurely, leading to strong calls for her resignation from the opposition party.

On the 12th, Kim issued a statement saying, "As a party member, I have made this decision with a spirit of putting the party before myself," and added, "I apologize to President Yoon Seok-yeol, who holds the appointment authority. I hope my resignation will be of some help to the Yoon Seok-yeol administration and the People Power Party."

It appears that the recent by-election defeat also influenced Kim's decision to step down. She mentioned, "I have spent a long time since being nominated as the Minister of Gender Equality and Family. In particular, I watched the Gangseo District by-election until late yesterday."

Kim Haeng, the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, is responding to questions from lawmakers at the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 5th. Photo by Yonhap News

However, as responsibility debates arise regarding the Kim Ki-hyun administration, voices are emerging that it is inappropriate for Kim Haeng to bear the responsibility for the election defeat.

Park Beom-gye, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on KBS's "The Live" on the same day, "Is Kim Haeng, the nominee for the Minister of Gender Equality and Family, really the right person to bear the responsibility for the ruling party's crushing defeat in this preliminary election before next year's general election, which strongly reflects public judgment on the Yoon Seok-yeol administration?" He criticized, "Completely leaving the public sentiment far behind and then resigning only after the defeat is confirmed seems like a half-hearted gesture."

Former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-woo explained, "It was more of a difficult atmosphere for her to be appointed this time rather than a matter of election responsibility."

On the 12th, on KBS Radio's "Joo Jin-woo Live," former lawmaker Kim said, "Kim Haeng might feel unfair, but leaving the hearing room was not the right thing to do," adding, "Even if she left, she should have returned. Although there was a very biased chairing by committee chairwoman Kwon In-sook, as a ministerial nominee, she should have stayed."

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, and Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader, are wearing somber expressions at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 12th. Photo by Yonhap News.

Although it was a voluntary resignation, the fact that President Yoon Seok-yeol effectively accepted Kim's resignation is analyzed as a result of heightened crisis awareness following the election defeat. Kim Geun-sik, former head of vision strategy for the People Power Party, said on SBS Radio's "Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show" on the 13th, "I understand that both the president and Yongsan were quite shocked by the results of this defeat, and probably the immediate acceptance of Kim Haeng's voluntary resignation reflects the seriousness of the situation."

He continued, "When I was the head of vision strategy during the campaign, I saw the president move the moment he sensed a crisis and felt that if things continued this way, it would be a disaster. How can you give up the metropolitan area in next year's general election and still carry out national reforms for the remaining three years? The president might not be able to implement any reforms he wants, so it means the president himself is facing an urgent crisis."