Kim Jong-in "Join Yoon Camp? No Such Talk... Haven't Decided My Mind"

"60-70% Chance of Opposition Victory in Next Year's Presidential Election"
"To Become President, You Must Show a Clear Vision and Plan"

Kim Jong-in, former Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Former People Power Party Emergency Committee Chairman Kim Jong-in dismissed speculation about joining former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's presidential campaign, saying, "There was no such talk." Kim emphasized that the next opposition presidential candidate must have a "clear vision and plan," and drew a line by stating he cannot cooperate with candidates who fail to demonstrate this.

On the 24th, Kim attended the founding promoter meeting of former Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-yeon's 'New Wave' party held in Mapo-gu, Seoul. After the meeting, in a conversation with reporters, Kim said, "I will be able to talk about how I will decide after the 5th of next month (the final candidate selection day of the People Power Party)."

He lamented, "To be honest, I have experienced this several times in the past, and the results of those experiences were not very good, so I cannot simply judge whether to do such a thing one last time or not."

He added, "The next presidential candidate must have a clear vision and plan to lead the country as president and be a candidate likely to keep that promise," emphasizing again, "If I do not confirm that, I will never play a supporting role."

Yoon Seok-yeol, former Prosecutor General and presidential primary candidate of the People Power Party / Photo by Yonhap News

When asked about joining former Prosecutor General Yoon's campaign, a leading candidate in the People Power Party's presidential primary, Kim drew a line, saying, "There was no such talk." It was reported that the two met for dinner near Gwanghwamun on the 22nd.

Regarding the recent controversy over Yoon's 'dog apology' photo, Kim said, "That itself will not be that important in the presidential election," and expressed regret, saying, "Honestly, our country is facing more than just one or two serious problems, but there are few candidates addressing those issues."

This is not the first time Kim has mentioned the possibility of cooperating with an opposition presidential candidate.

In an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 15th, Kim predicted a 60-70% chance of opposition victory in next year's election, particularly noting that the 'Daejang-dong development special favor suspicion' in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, would influence the presidential election.

However, regarding his own course of action, he said, "I will only support if I am convinced that this person will become president, contribute to national development, and perform presidential duties without personal interests," adding, "Otherwise, I cannot help. I have not yet made a decision in my heart."