Lee Hye-hoon, the nominee for the Ministry of Planning and Budget, is facing increasing political pressure to resign due to allegations surrounding her husband’s past real estate dealings and mistreatment of an intern during her time as a lawmaker. The former three-term conservative bloc legislator has received criticism from both ruling and opposition parties following her unexpected nomination by President Lee Jae Myung.
Members of the ruling Democratic Party have expressed unease over Lee’s previous support for a failed martial law bid by former President Yoon Suk Yeol, while the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has labeled her as a traitor. The PPP has escalated its attacks ahead of Lee’s confirmation hearing, pointing to audio recordings of her harshly reprimanding an intern in the National Assembly.
PPP Representative Joo Jin-woo alleged that Lee’s husband engaged in real estate speculation by purchasing significant land near Incheon International Airport before its official opening in 2001. Documents revealed that the husband acquired a 6,612-square-meter plot on Yeongjong Island in Incheon in 2000, which was later expropriated by state-run land development agencies in 2006 for a substantial profit.
Representative Park Sung-hoon, the PPP’s chief spokesperson, has called for Lee to apologize and withdraw from politics. Park criticized Lee for what he described as a pattern of abusing power and privilege, citing her past mistreatment of an intern as an example of her disregard for the vulnerable.
