Yoon Seok-yeol "Concerned Next Year's Presidential Election Will Surpass 3·15 as a Crucial Election... Need to Form a Neutral Cabinet"

"Meeting between President Moon and Lee Jae-myung is a direct violation of the obligation of election neutrality"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party and former Prosecutor General, criticized the meeting between President Moon Jae-in and Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, on the 27th, and demanded the formation of a neutral cabinet regarding next year's presidential election.

On the 27th, Yoon stated on social media (SNS), "I am concerned about election manipulation by authorities and demand the formation of a neutral cabinet to manage the election."

He said, "Yesterday, President Moon Jae-in and Lee Jae-myung, the ruling party candidate, met at the Blue House," and claimed, "The president, the highest-ranking public official in the Republic of Korea, blatantly violated the obligation of public officials to remain neutral in elections."

Yoon added, "Some argue that there have been precedents in past governments where the president met with the ruling party candidate, but this is an outdated practice that should be eliminated as part of political reform, not a beautiful tradition to be inherited," and criticized, "How can the president's blatant election intervention be allowed just because there is a precedent?"

In particular, referring to candidate Lee, Yoon mentioned the Daejang-dong development scandal, saying, "If the president emphasizes thorough investigation with one mouth but meets and encourages the investigation target at the Blue House with the other, how would the investigators perceive this?"

He continued, "The prime minister of this administration, the director of the National Intelligence Service, the Minister of Justice, and the Minister of the Interior and Safety?all key ministers who could influence the election?are all politicians from the ruling party," and expressed doubt, "I question whether President Moon truly has the will to manage a fair presidential election."

Yoon demanded, "Under these circumstances, the presidential election to be held on March 9 next year is very likely to become an enormous election manipulated by authorities surpassing the fraudulent election of March 15," and called for, "Reorganize the current cabinet into a grand coalition neutral cabinet for election management." He further demanded, "Replace the prime minister and all heads of election management departments with neutral figures and encourage public officials to strictly uphold their obligation of election neutrality."