An's Love Call to Yoon Since Last Year
Possibility of Using the People's Party as a Stepping Stone for Powerless Yoon
Open to Joining the People Power Party as Well
[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The biggest question following former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's political declaration is which faction he will align with. There is growing interest in whether he will immediately join forces with Ahn Cheol-soo, the leader of the People Party.
In an interview on June 5th with KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strongest Current Affairs,' Ahn said, "What is clear is that since there are many expectations from opposition supporters, whether he engages in politics or not, I hope he will play a role in helping to bring about a change of government." The day before, Ahn also expressed support for Yoon's decision at the People Party's Supreme Council meeting, stating, "Protecting Yoon Seok-yeol is a legitimate struggle to defend democracy and the rule of law."
Regarding the presidential election phase, Ahn said, "I do not think the opposition will be divided," adding, "Through innovative reorganization, we will improve the public's image of the opposition and find the best ways to win." This statement draws attention because Yoon has been part of Ahn's vision for innovative reorganization. Ahn has long mentioned the possibility of restructuring the opposition together with Yoon. In particular, last November, at the 'Forum for a Better World' led by former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Moo-sung, Ahn specifically said, "If someone like Yoon Seok-yeol joins the innovation platform, it will greatly benefit the opposition," and added, "It would be great to build the platform together."
For Yoon, who currently lacks a strong political base, this is not a bad choice. Like early-stage startup support for venture companies, he could use the People Party as an 'incubator.' If Yoon makes such a decision, it would reveal his 'identity' by supporting Ahn in the unification phase with Oh Se-hoon, the People Power Party's candidate for the Seoul mayoral by-election.
On the other hand, the possibility of joining hands with the main opposition party, the People Power Party, remains open. Park Sang-chul, a professor at Kyonggi University's Graduate School of Political Studies, said, "From Yoon's perspective, he may try to leverage the People Power Party's support base," adding, "Given his emphasis on conservative terms like 'liberal democracy' and 'the people,' it seems like a proposal has been made."
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