Yoon Seok-yeol's Path... Is It the Hwang Kyo-ahn Model or the Ahn Cheol-soo Model?

Lee Nak-yeon "The movements just before resignation and the reason for resignation are political declarations"

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's resignation and his de facto declaration of political entry are widely interpreted in political circles as a step to establish himself as the conservative presidential candidate by leveraging backlash against prosecutorial reform. Ultimately, it appears he stands at a crossroads between joining the People Power Party or forming a third force.

On the 5th, Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, mentioned former Prosecutor General Yoon at the Supreme Council meeting, saying, "His political entry is being accepted as a fait accompli. Especially, his actions just before resignation and his resignation statement seemed like a political declaration." Kwon Seong-dong, a four-term senior member of the People Power Party, also told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "After stepping down from the Prosecutor General position, what else could he do to protect liberal democracy and the people? Engage in civic activism? Ultimately, it means he will enter politics."

Former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae appeared on MBC Radio the previous day and said, "His (former Prosecutor General Yoon's) political ambitions were already widely rumored. It seems he calculated to maximize the appearance of being a victim oppressed by this administration before stepping out."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Former Prosecutor General Yoon is expected to take a wait-and-see approach for the time being, but the period is not expected to be long. Coincidentally, he announced his intention to resign on the same day the People Power Party confirmed Oh Se-hoon as its candidate for the Seoul mayoral by-election. Since that day was when candidate Oh received the most attention, some say Yoon suffered a setback. There is considerable analysis that Yoon is trying to establish his position as a presidential candidate by exerting influence from the by-election stage. The ruling party views Yoon's political expansion capability as low but is keenly attentive to the impact he might have in the closely contested by-election phase.

Four-term senior Democratic Party lawmaker Roh Woong-rae appeared on CBS Radio that day and said, "Now that the People Power Party candidate has been selected, attention will naturally focus there. Isn't it that he wants to ride that wave together?" He also defined Yoon as a "hardline conservative," adding, "I think he dreams of making a presidential run while receiving full support from the Taegeukgi (Korean flag) faction."

Lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong said on the same broadcast, "There will probably be people in our party inviting him to join, and he might decide to join on his own." He added, "At this stage, we need to watch his moves a bit more before making a decision." He also mentioned that Yoon would likely run as a presidential candidate.

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, said the previous day, "We will do our best to join forces with Prosecutor General Yoon to protect the constitution and the rule of law," adding, "(Joining the party) depends on his own will and circumstances."

Hong Hyung-sik, director of Hangil Research, said, "Yoon's approval ratings are not fixed as they include many floating voters," adding, "From now on, his approval ratings will depend on how much national vision he presents beyond just defending the rule of law." He continued, "If he does not join the People Power Party, they will be competitors, so from now on, we need to closely watch what kind of foreshadowing his statements as a politician carry."