Yoon Seok-yeol on Participation of Kim Geon-hee in Election Campaign: "Not Sure if She Will Actively Participate..."

Yoon Seok-yeol "I don't really want to have a policy debate with Lee Jae-myung... I want to debate with an honest candidate"

Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, is taking notes on the remarks of participants at a meeting with businesspeople held at the Northern Chungnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seobuk-gu, Cheonan-si, Chungnam, on the afternoon of the 1st.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, said on the 1st regarding whether his spouse Kim Geon-hee would participate in the election campaign, "I don't know if she will actively participate, but at some point, as the wife of the presidential candidate, she will fulfill the role she needs to do well."

In an interview with Channel A released that day, when the host asked, "Will Ms. Kim actively support the election campaign?" Yoon responded this way. Kim Hye-kyung, the wife of Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, has already been accompanying Lee's schedule and increasing contact with citizens, but Ms. Kim has not yet appeared in official public settings.

Regarding the ongoing noise surrounding the formation of the election campaign committee, Yoon said, "The campaign committee will continue to be reinforced and supplemented until March 8 next year (the day before the election)," adding, "Many figures need to be included in the campaign organization, and many people outside the party should join to expand the party's camp further. Please watch as we continue to supplement the campaign organization."

About the possible joining of former People Power Party emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in to the campaign committee, he said, "I don't know well either," and added, "He will make his own judgment. If he were to be persuaded and move, wouldn't he have done so already? I won't say anything more about that."

Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate (left), and his wife Kim Geon-hee.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, Yoon emphasized that his personnel principle is 'ability.' He said, "What if we present incompetent people to the public just because they are kind-hearted and moral, and they end up starving the people and creating unemployed people?" adding, "Immoral people who pursue personal gain are not acceptable."

When asked, "If you had to have a meal with only one of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk or former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, who would you want to eat with?" he replied, "Why would I eat with those two alone? I don't really want to eat with them. I wonder if they want to eat with me."

Yoon had investigated Cho's family while serving as Prosecutor General and later had confrontations with Choo, who succeeded Cho as Justice Minister.

Regarding Lee's proposal to "have a debate," Yoon pointed out, "I don't want to have a policy debate in person, even if I don't mind a legal debate, because (Lee's words) keep changing all the time." He continued, "If a candidate is dishonest and uses a packaged strategy to gain votes, what is the point of debating with such a candidate?" adding, "I want to debate with an honest candidate."