Yoon Seok-yeol's side: "Hong requested a private meeting with Kim Jong-in but was rejected... We communicate once or twice a week"

Yoon Camp Claims "Kim Jong-in Pays More Attention to Us Than Hong Jun-pyo"

Yoon Seok-yeol, former Prosecutor General and presidential primary candidate of the People Power Party (left), and Representative Hong Joon-pyo. /Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Amid growing interest in the influence of former People Power Party Emergency Committee Chairman Kim Jong-in, known as the 'kingmaker' in the election phase, the camp of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, a presidential primary candidate of the People Power Party, revealed that they communicate with Kim about once or twice a week.

Kim Kyung-jin, Special Advisor for External Cooperation of Yoon Seok-yeol's campaign, appeared on CBS Radio's 'Hanpan Seungbu' on the 25th and said, "There are talks that the two (former Chairman Kim and former Prosecutor General Yoon) had dinner together, and what is clear is that they talk on the phone once or twice a week." He also mentioned rumors that competing candidate Representative Hong Joon-pyo requested a private meeting with former Chairman Kim but was rejected.

Special Advisor Kim said, "I haven't confirmed this as it is a rumor," but added, "There is a rumor that Representative Hong requested a private meeting with former Chairman Kim, but former Chairman Kim rejected it."

He continued, "Considering various words and actions together, it seems that former Chairman Kim believes that a regime change by the People Power Party is possible, and among the forces for regime change, the realistically viable candidate is Y (former Prosecutor General Yoon), to whom he is paying more attention." He asserted, "It is clear that there has been closer communication with (former Prosecutor General Yoon)."

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

Special Advisor Kim commented on former Chairman Kim's influence, saying, "Wherever he goes, the candidate from the camp he was in has been elected. Former President Park Geun-hye was in that camp during her candidacy and was elected, and when he was in the Democratic Party camp, then-candidate Moon Jae-in was elected. So, I think that is why everyone wants to have former Chairman Kim on their side."

Meanwhile, regarding the speculation that former Chairman Kim supports former Prosecutor General Yoon, Kim drew a line on the 24th, saying, "That is Yoon's own feeling." After attending the founding member meeting of former Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-yeon's 'New Wave' party held in Mapo-gu, Seoul, former Chairman Kim told reporters, "I will have to wait until November 5th (the final date for selecting the People Power Party's presidential candidate) to decide how I will make my decision and then talk about it."