Lee Jun-seok says "The bus departs in August"... Yoon's close aide Jang Ye-chan says "You can take a taxi directly"

Political commentator Jang Ye-chan. Photo by YouTube 'Jang Ye-chan TV'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Joo-hee] Jang Ye-chan, a current affairs commentator known to communicate with former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, criticized Lee Jun-seok, the new party leader who is pressuring Yoon to join the People Power Party, saying, "There is no need to threaten someone who can take a taxi directly to the destination even if the bus departs first."

Lee has previously expressed hope that Yoon would join the party and participate in the primary by August, when the opposition party's presidential primary is expected to begin.

On the 13th, Jang wrote on his Facebook that there is no strong presidential candidate within the People Power Party, stating, "If there are no passengers who can pay a hefty bus fare, only the bus driver loses out by departing early." This implies that the People Power Party would be at a disadvantage without Yoon, who is considered a leading opposition presidential candidate.

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is applauding at the opening ceremony of Namsan Yejang Park in Seoul on the afternoon of the 9th. Photo by Yonhap News

Jang argued, "No member of the National Assembly looks to the party leader when engaging in politics. They have no choice but to stake their political fate on a presidential candidate," adding, "As time passes, more members of the National Assembly will follow a strong presidential candidate."

He continued, "The 'Oh Se-hoon - Na Kyung-won vs. Ahn Cheol-soo' model that succeeded in the April 7 by-elections is difficult to replicate," explaining, "At that time, Oh Se-hoon and Na Kyung-won were candidates who secured over 20% support on their own. In contrast, none of the current People Power Party candidates have more than 10% support on their own," he explained. Furthermore, "Even if you combine the support rates of all opposition candidates except Yoon, it does not exceed 10%," he pointed out.

Jang said the People Power Party should look back on the 2017 presidential election, recalling, "At that time, the party failed to recruit a strong external candidate, lost the presidential election, and the moderate conservative camp went through a painful period of fragmentation."

He added, "Compared to then, the support base for candidates outside the party is now thicker and stronger," emphasizing, "The People Power Party should focus on reform and expanding its base, while candidates outside the party should engage in healthy competition by listening to more voices of the people and finding the spirit of the times. It is not the time to check each other with sensitive expressions already."