[Tonguidong 24 Hours] The Reason President-Elect Yoon Visited Daehakro at 9 PM

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] On the 20th, President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol reportedly discussed the issue of mask removal with Ahn Cheol-soo, chairman of the Presidential Transition Committee, during a condolence visit to the funeral hall of Ahn Young-mo, former director of Beomcheon Clinic and father of Chairman Ahn.

The transition committee issued an official statement on the same day, expressing that "caution is necessary" after the government announced it would decide on an outdoor mask removal policy early next month, indicating that President-elect Yoon is giving the matter deeper consideration.

When asked what was discussed during the 30-minute condolence visit, a representative of the president-elect said, "We discussed issues related to mask removal and COVID-19 with Chairman Ahn."

This discussion is interpreted as stemming from the burden of having to simultaneously take responsibility for both quarantine measures and the livelihood of the people. President-elect Yoon has often expressed that livelihood issues are the most important.

After paying his respects, President-elect Yoon quietly visited Daehak-ro, located in the heart of Seoul. This visit was not part of the original schedule. After touring the area by car, he went to a barbecue restaurant and had a late dinner for about an hour and a half with his aides, including Chief Secretary Jang Je-won and spokesperson Bae Hyun-jin.

The visit was also seen as an effort to directly assess the street atmosphere following the lifting of social distancing measures and the situation of self-employed business owners, as well as to confirm whether it is appropriate to implement mask removal.

Despite being in mourning, Chairman Ahn, through transition committee spokesperson Shin Yong-hyun, pointed out, "Domestic and international experts unanimously warn of a resurgence this fall and winter, and the threat of new variants after Omicron still remains," adding, "While returning to normal life, measures must be taken in parallel to protect high-risk and vulnerable groups from the dangers of COVID-19."

The transition committee is preparing not only quarantine measures but also supplementary budgets for compensation for losses suffered by small business owners and self-employed individuals due to COVID-19, as well as the introduction of a national responsibility system for recovery from vaccine side effects.