Budget minister nominee Lee Hye-hoon is under intensifying pressure to step down amid new allegations of mistreating an intern and her husband's real estate speculation, building on earlier backlash over her support for ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law bid—for which she apologized last week. The opposition People Power Party has released audio evidence ahead of her confirmation hearing.
Following her nomination by President Lee Jae Myung and initial controversies—including her apology for backing Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law declaration—Lee Hye-hoon now faces fresh scrutiny from both ruling Democratic Party and opposition People Power Party (PPP).
The PPP has escalated attacks with audio recordings of Lee harshly berating an intern during her National Assembly tenure. Lawmaker Joo Jin-woo also alleged her husband purchased a 6,612-square-meter plot on Yeongjong Island in 2000, before Incheon International Airport's opening, despite living in Seoul. Land records show it was expropriated in 2006 for 3.91 billion won ($2.7 million), tripling their investment.
PPP spokesperson Park Sung-hoon demanded an apology and political exit, decrying her 'warped sense of privilege.' Lee has not responded officially. This unfolds early in the new administration, risking trust-building efforts ahead of her parliamentary confirmation hearing.
