Former Prime Minister Yoon Seok-yeol, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party, is speaking at the youth think tank 'Sangsang23 Open Seminar' held at a house cafe in Yeouido, Seoul on the 1st. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] Yoon Seok-yeol, former Prosecutor General and presidential candidate from the People Power Party, was criticized for his habit of sitting with legs wide apart during his party registration tour at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 2nd.
On that day, Yoon made rounds meeting People Power Party lawmakers, party officials, and aides to make a strong impression. Starting from 7:30 a.m., he appeared as a speaker at the 'Myeongbulheojeon Conservative' meeting, a gathering of first-term People Power Party lawmakers, and then personally greeted all 103 party lawmakers to announce his party membership.
Yoon not only approached People Power Party lawmakers but also reached out to lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Korea.
At a meeting with Cho Eung-cheon, a 'principled' lawmaker from the Democratic Party, Cho jokingly advised, "Please close your legs a little. I say this with sincere concern." This was a lighthearted critique of Yoon’s habit of sitting with his legs widely spread apart.
Yoon has maintained this wide-legged sitting posture at various official events. On the 25th of last month, during a chicken and beer meeting with People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok, he stirred controversy by tilting his beer glass while sitting with legs wide apart. The same posture was also observed at a youth think tank seminar on the 1st.
In fact, an online community even posted a photo of Yoon and Lee from the media coverage with their faces obscured, titled "Guess Who by Looking Only at the Lower Body."
Jeong Cheong-rae, a Democratic Party lawmaker, also criticized Yoon’s wide-legged posture.
On the 2nd, Jeong stated on his Facebook, "Yoon Seok-yeol’s casual style should be corrected."
He strongly criticized Yoon’s posture, saying, "If the attitude is bad, no matter what is said, it won’t be heard and will become a subject of extreme dislike, falling into an irrecoverable state." He also warned, "Habits formed at age three last until eighty and are very difficult to change," adding, "If caught in the trap of attitude, one is labeled as arrogant and insolent, a so-called ‘arrogance syndrome patient.’"
Meanwhile, a representative from Yoon Seok-yeol’s campaign said, "The campaign continuously advises the candidate, and he is aware, but it is difficult to change habits in a short time," adding, "We are considering recruiting a PI (Presidential Image) expert."
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