Yoo Seung-min: "I played a role up to the National Assembly impeachment... The subject of Park Geun-hye's detention, indictment, and sentencing request is Yoon Seok-yeol"

Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party, is being interviewed by Yonhap News Agency at the Hope 22 office in Yeouido, Seoul.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] Yoo Seung-min, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party, stated on the 21st that "Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol was the main actor in the arrest, indictment, and prosecution of former President Park Geun-hye."

In an interview with Yonhap News Agency on the same day, Yoo said, "It is true that my role was up to the impeachment in the National Assembly, but after the Constitutional Court's impeachment decision, it was the prosecution and the courts that took action."

Regarding the pardon of former President Park Geun-hye, he said, "I heard that the Blue House is considering it," adding, "I think it is a matter that depends on the president's decision whenever it happens, so I am waiting. Whether President Moon decides to pardon or not, I don't think it will have a significant impact on the presidential election."

He continued, "I have expressed personal regret several times," and confessed, "Among former presidents who went to prison for violating the law, she has suffered the most, so I always feel sorry."

Yoo said, "In the past, the Daegu-Gyeongbuk (TK) region viewed me strictly within the frame of impeachment," and added, "Now, I feel that public sentiment is shifting toward the idea that strategic judgment is necessary to unconditionally replace the regime."

He further stated, "Politically, it is true that I played a role up to the impeachment in the National Assembly according to the constitution," but drew a line by saying, "After the Constitutional Court made the impeachment decision, it was the prosecution and the courts that acted."

He added, "(Former Prosecutor General Yoon) played a role from the special prosecutor period to serving as the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office," and claimed, "TK voters feel a contradiction in thinking, 'They hated Yoo Seung-min who impeached her so much, but they show high support for Yoon Seok-yeol.'"

Yoo said, "Once the full-scale verification begins, there will be fluctuations," and added, "Neither former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol nor former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung has even started the verification process yet."

He also predicted, "The idea that 'only this person can bring regime change' will gradually fade," and said, "The presidential election is a future-oriented election. Although there was initially a strong expectation of political revenge, such as imprisoning President Moon Jae-in and his administration members for five years after taking power, this expectation will gradually decrease."

Yoo emphasized, "Former Prosecutor General Yoon emphasized the word 'freedom' a lot in his candidacy declaration, but it is a very conservative thought. It seems different from the direction I think."