"The Moment of the Star Has Come" Will Yoon Seok-yeol Really Enter the Presidential Race? [Han Seung-gon's Political Notebook]

Kim Jong-in on Yoon: "'Moment of the Star' May Be Visible Now," Mentions Presidential Bid

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is paying respects at the National Seoul Memorial Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 4th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol has been showing consistently high approval ratings in polls for the next presidential candidate, drawing attention from opposition parties who are hinting at his presidential bid and focusing on his intentions.

Yoon's term ends around July 20. The presidential election is scheduled for March 9 next year, leaving less than seven months after his term ends. If Yoon decides to run for president, the head of the prosecution agency would immediately enter the primary race while still in office. The opposition parties have issued more proactive messages regarding Yoon.

Kim Jong-in, the Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, said on the 12th that Yoon is at a "moment of the star." Appearing on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show," Kim said, "A person's life has only one moment of the star," emphasizing, "Whether one properly seizes that moment can determine whether they make a great contribution to the country or not."

He added, "He will decide on his own, so I won't speak specifically." However, he noted, "He is still someone within the ruling party," and said, "If the ruling party cannot find a suitable candidate, he could be the one."

Kim Jong-in, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 11th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The "moment of the star" expression used by Chairman Kim regarding Yoon refers to a presidential bid. In a phone interview with Yonhap News, Kim also pointed out, "In that sense, Ahn Cheol-soo, the leader of the People's Party, already missed his moment of the star back in 2011."

Kim's qualifier that Yoon is a "person within the ruling party" is interpreted as clarifying that although Yoon enjoys high approval ratings as an opposition candidate, he is not yet affiliated with the People Power Party. It is also seen as probing Yoon's intentions on whether he will choose the ruling or opposition side while testing his presidential bid.

Meanwhile, in a recent poll on preferred next political leaders, Yoon surpassed Lee Nak-yeon, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.

According to Gallup Korea's announcement on the 15th, a survey conducted from the 12th to 14th among 1,000 adults nationwide asked, "Who do you think would be good as the next president?" (Confidence level 95%, margin of error ±3.1 percentage points), and Governor Lee received the highest at 23%.

Yoon received 13%, and Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon showed 10% preference. Although within the margin of error, this is the first time Lee has trailed Yoon in a Gallup Korea poll.

Gallup Korea explained, "Until July last year, Lee's preference was solidly in the mid-20% range, but in August, Governor Lee Jae-myung surged, forming a leading competition among ruling party figures," adding, "In the past month, Governor Lee Jae-myung has risen again, while Lee Nak-yeon has sharply declined, widening the gap between the two."

Guestbook entry written by Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol after paying respects at the National Seoul Memorial Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 4th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Gallup Korea also reported that in this survey, the approval rating for President Moon Jae-in's administration was 38% positive and 53% negative.

The presidential approval rating hit its lowest since inauguration for the third consecutive survey, following the second week of December last year and last week's survey. The negative rating decreased by 2 percentage points compared to last week.

In party support ratings, the ruling Democratic Party stood at 34%, and the People Power Party at 23%. The Democratic Party dropped by 1 percentage point from last week, while the People Power Party rose by 1 percentage point. The Justice Party and People's Party each recorded 5%, and the non-affiliated group was 29%.

Meanwhile, experts analyzed that Chairman Kim's "moment of the star" remark about Yoon includes not only an intention to recruit him into the party but also other opinions.

Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon said, "It is accurate to see that Chairman Kim Jong-in pressured Yoon to make a choice on whether to enter politics," adding, "If he is going into politics, he shouldn't hesitate any longer. Isn't it time to make a decision?"

He continued, "If Yoon is not going to come to the People Power Party, they need to boldly give up on him. There isn't much time left for the People Power Party," explaining, "Compared to Yoon's approval ratings outside the party, the party's own candidates cannot continue to stagnate in support." He further analyzed, "It is necessary to decisively give up on Yoon, and then appeal to the conservative support base."