[Yoon Seok-yeol Elected] 'Middleweight to Heavyweight' Ahn Cheol-soo, Rumored as Yoon Government Transition Committee Chair and Prime Minister Candidate

An "Efforts to Create a Better Korea for the Future and National Unity"
Challenges in the Merger Process with the People Power Party

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] As Yoon Seok-yeol was elected as the 20th president on the 10th, attention is focusing on the role of Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, who achieved candidate unification in the final stages of the presidential election. In political circles, there is talk that if Ahn does not accept the position of chairman of the Presidential Transition Committee, he may serve as the first Prime Minister in the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. However, he also faces the challenge of smoothly proceeding with the merger with the People Power Party.

In the early hours of the day, after Yoon’s election was confirmed, Ahn visited the People Power Party’s vote counting situation room to congratulate Yoon. Wearing a suit identical to Yoon’s, he sat side by side in the front row, receiving the spotlight. In a statement released that day, Ahn said, “Today’s election result means that the people have allowed the opposition to change the government, but at the same time have given stern criticism and a serious sense of responsibility.” He added, “I will do my best to join forces with President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol to create a ‘Better Republic of Korea’ based on fairness, common sense, the future, and national unity.”

People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong appeared on CBS Radio that day and said, “I have not heard President-elect Yoon’s remarks about Ahn’s appointment as transition committee chairman,” but added, “Since they promised to form a joint transition committee and a joint government, I believe the two will discuss and decide.” He left the possibility open.

Ahn is being mentioned as a candidate for chairman of Yoon’s transition committee. This signifies that Yoon and Ahn will jointly lay the groundwork for the ‘National Unity Government’ they declared. On the 3rd, when they unified their candidacies, Yoon and Ahn announced an agreement stating that they would “jointly form and operate the transition committee.”

There is also speculation that Ahn may be appointed Prime Minister shortly after the new government’s launch. Analysts say this is not impossible, citing the DJP coalition case where, after candidate unification, the new government’s president and first prime minister had a cooperative relationship. In a joint press conference with Yoon, Ahn expressed his conviction, saying, “As a member of the National Assembly, I have engaged in various legislative activities, but I have not been able to show administrative achievements directly. Through this opportunity, I will demonstrate a changed Korea that is a better country.”

The ‘merger’ with the People’s Party is also a key point to watch. Since Ahn Cheol-soo’s People’s Party had relatively strong support from the ‘centrist’ voter base, there is even internal expectation within the People Power Party that it could broaden its spectrum toward the center. President-elect Yoon also pledged, “I will swiftly merge with the People’s Party to expand our political philosophy and camp, and properly gather the opinions of many citizens.”