South Korea's Budget Minister pick faces growing pressure to step down as more allegations surface

Seoul, Jan 3 Lee Hye-hoon, the nominee to head the newly established Ministry of Planning and Budget in South Korea, came under intensifying political pressure Saturday to step down as suspicions of her husband's past real estate speculation emerged following revelations of her mistreating an intern while serving as a lawmaker.

Lee, a former three-term lawmaker from the conservative bloc, has drawn criticism from both the ruling and opposition parties since her surprise nomination by President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday, reports Yonhap news agency.

Some members of the ruling Democratic Party have voiced discomfort over the economist-turned-politician's past remarks supporting former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid, while the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has branded her a traitor.

The PPP has stepped up its offensive ahead of Lee's confirmation hearing, citing recently disclosed audio recordings of Lee abusively reprimanding an intern during her time in the National Assembly.

On Saturday, PPP Rep. Joo Jin-woo also claimed that Lee's husband engaged in real estate speculation by purchasing large tracts of land near Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, about a year before it officially opened in 2001.

Joo released copies of land registry documents showing that the husband bought a 6,612-square-meter plot on Yeongjong Island in Incheon in 2000, when the couple was living in Seoul.

The lawmaker argued that the land was later expropriated by state-run land development corporations in 2006 for about 3.91 billion won ($2.7 million), claiming the couple made more than three times their initial investment in just six years.

Rep. Park Sung-hoon, the PPP's chief spokesperson, urged Lee to apologise and step away from politics.

"What is important is that this is not just a one-off mistake but an expression of a warped sense of privilege that tramples on the weak through the abuse of power," commented Park on the nominee's past admonishing of her intern.

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