Ha Tae-kyung: "Yoon Seok-yeol and I will form a 'duopoly'... Choo is practically Yoon's election campaign chairman"

A video of Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, declaring his participation in the party's presidential primary, uploaded on his YouTube channel on the 15th. Photo by YouTube channel 'Ha Tae-kyung TV'.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party who recently officially declared his bid for the presidency, predicted that he and Yoon Seok-yeol, the former Prosecutor General and a leading opposition presidential candidate, will form a 'two-strong structure.'

In an interview with Yonhap News on the 21st, when asked about Yoon's approval ratings, Ha said, "In the end, Yoon and I will form a two-strong structure," adding, "The value represented by Yoon is minimal fairness, which is not a new era value." He continued, "This is a reflection of the backlash against the Moon Jae-in administration, which was an unfair regime."

He went on to say, "'The Lee Jun-seok phenomenon' shows how strong the public's desire for a change of era is," and expressed confidence, saying, "The public will evaluate 'who can best bring about a change of era,' and in that regard, they will gradually realize that I am the most suitable person."

Regarding the anticipated presidential bid announcement by former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, he remarked, "Isn't she practically the one who was Yoon Seok-yeol's campaign committee chair?" and added, "The ruling party probably wants to stop her." He also said, "Isn't she almost a Trojan horse? It's 'Chunattaeng.' If Choo Mi-ae comes out, thank you."

When asked about the expected competition with former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, he replied, "The world of competition is cold and unforgiving." About another competitor, Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, he criticized, "Ahn also had his 'moment of the star' in the past. That 'new politics' is now all being done by Lee Jun-seok."