Ahn Cheol-soo: "Only I Can Unite the People"
Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, is attending the Daegu-Gyeongbuk New Year’s Greeting Ceremony held at Inter-Burgo Hotel in Buk-gu, Daegu, on the afternoon of the 3rd, responding to reporters' questions. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, said on the 3rd that the ruling party’s repeated 'love calls' to him are "a show for everyone to see. Ultimately, it means they want to eliminate me."
On the same day, Ahn appeared on Channel A News and responded to the question, "Is it impossible to form an alliance with the Democratic Party of Korea?" by saying, "In politics, if there is genuine intention, such proposals are not made publicly." He added, "If they wanted things to proceed, they would have made a secret proposal."
When asked by the host whether he feels the support rate exceeding 10% when visiting the field, Ahn said, "It is even more heated on the ground. So I think it will be reflected in the support rate over time."
Regarding the reason for his rising support rate, he analyzed, "The 20s and 30s generation, centrists, and the undecided have different criteria for judgment. They judge based on the candidate’s morality and whether the person has the ability to create a better Republic of Korea." He added, "In the end, I think they have decided that I am the most suitable candidate."
Also, Ahn stated about the recent rise in support, "I don’t think it is simply a reflexive benefit." When asked if the support temporarily shifted because Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party’s presidential candidate, lost support, he said, "I don’t necessarily think so," and questioned, "If I lacked morality or ability, would the support come to me?"
He further explained, "The values of fairness and justice that Yoon gained while fighting against the Moon Jae-in administration have been lost, so I think from now on, the competition should be about policy vision."
He said he can meet with Yoon but is not considering the possibility of unification or alliance. Ahn said, "If politicians want to discuss current issues, there is no reason not to meet." Regarding discussions about opposition unification or alliance, he said, "I am not considering it at the moment."
Furthermore, he said, "If I become president, many things will change. National unity will be possible. In fact, if one of the two major parties wins, the people are still divided in half." He added, "Moreover, if decisive evidence emerges about the elected president during the term, the national governance confusion will be severe. Also, if decisive evidence comes out about the losing candidate and they go to prison, that will also cause severe division among the people."
He continued, "Only I can unify the people. Politics is a service for the public good," and added, "I still have that mindset."
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