Yoon Seok-yeol: "If Lee Jun-seok tells me to run, I will... I give him full authority over the election campaign"

Interpreted as a 'Sign of Respect' Toward Lee Jun-seok
Wearing Red Hoodies Together

Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, and Lee Jun-seok, the party leader, are greeting citizens on the afternoon of the 4th at the Youth Street in Seomyeon, Busan, wearing couple hoodies. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, expressed respect by telling party leader Lee Jun-seok, "I will give you full authority over the election campaign planning."

Yoon, who visited Busan together with Lee, said in a meeting with reporters on the afternoon of the 4th after visiting the Bukhang Redevelopment Promotion Center, "I consider it a great fortune as a candidate to run in the presidential election with a party leader in his 30s, which is the first in 100 years of Korean political history." This is interpreted as his intention to respect Lee's authority so that the so-called 'party leader passing' controversy does not arise anymore.

On the same day, Yoon referred to the red hoodie they wore together at Lee's suggestion, emphasizing, "I will fully accept the parts that Lee planned and decided, so if he tells me to run wearing this kind of clothes, I will run, and if he tells me to go somewhere in this outfit, I will go." The front of the hoodie worn that day had the phrase "Please tell me if you want to take a picture," and the back said "Selfie mode is comfortable."

Regarding former emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in's acceptance of the position of general election campaign committee chairman, Yoon explained, "There is nothing special about the joining process," adding, "Dr. Kim Jong-in said he would think about various things until he was confident that he could successfully run the presidential campaign, so I think the conclusion was made yesterday." The day before, after meeting with Lee in Ulsan Ulju, Yoon said, "Dr. Kim Jong-in has just accepted the position of general election campaign committee chairman."

When asked if former chairman Kim called directly, Yoon replied, "Someone who was with him called and handed the phone over last night," adding, "He said he would take the position of general election campaign committee chairman, so I asked, 'Can we announce and proceed now?' and he said yes, so I said it yesterday."

Regarding the recent polls showing similar support rates with Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party candidate, Yoon appeared not to be overly concerned. He said, "I run, and those who help me see those things and give me advice and direction, but I am an athlete, so I don't have time to look at the scoreboard."