An who halted public schedule... Will he firmly establish his 'position'?

Lee Jun-seok "If Biden is dropped, which side is it?"
Cheon Ha-ram "What exactly is Candidate Ahn's stance?"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Ahn Cheol-soo, who was sharply attacked by the presidential office for using terms such as 'Yoon-Ahn (Yoon Seok-yeol?Ahn Cheol-soo) alliance' and 'Yoonhaekgwan (Yoon Seok-yeol’s key aides),' suspended his public schedule on the 6th and entered a 'breathing space.' In a situation where it is ambiguous whether to maintain a pro-Yoon (親尹) position or turn to an anti-Yoon (反尹) stance, attention is focused on whether he will make a decision after this pause.

Former party leader Lee Jun-seok said on MBC's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 6th, "'Did Candidate Ahn hear Biden? Or did he hear Nallimyeon?' I believe he will definitely participate in this party convention debate. The public needs to know this. Whether he can speak his mind or not," he said.

Ahn Cheol-soo, a candidate for the People Power Party leadership, is holding a press conference related to the party convention at the National Assembly on the 3rd. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

On the same day, Candidate Ahn said on the same radio program, "I will not use the term 'Yoonhaekgwan,'" bowing to the presidential office's backlash. Former leader Lee criticized Ahn’s ambiguous attitude. Lee said, "Candidate Ahn says he will win the metropolitan area election, so regarding nominations, he should answer whether he will resist the influence from Yongsan or comply with it," adding, "Right now, his approval rating is just floating."

Currently, Candidate Ahn is leading in multi-party opinion polls targeting his support base. However, there is criticism that if he does not clarify his position, his approval rating may decline, as former lawmaker Na Kyung-won experienced in the past.

Candidate Cheon Ha-ram, classified as part of the 'Lee Jun-seok faction,' also criticized Candidate Ahn, saying, "At first, Candidate Ahn tried to join the mainstream and did not want to position himself as a pro-Yoon candidate," and added, "Now that it is clear that the presidential office is excluding him and the pro-Yoon candidate title is completely lost, he suddenly attacks Yoonhaekgwan and lawmaker Jang Je-won. Isn't this a very opportunistic political move?"

He continued, "(Candidate Ahn) has become an anti-Yoon old-fashioned politician. So, he is anti-Yoon but has no reformist aspect at all," and said, "He seems to want to line up with Yoon (the president), and when told not to use 'Yoon-Ahn alliance,' he immediately said he would stop using it. So, I first wonder what exactly Candidate Ahn’s stance is."

Candidate Ahn’s position, who had long claimed to be 'pan-pro-Yoon,' became ambiguous after clashing with the presidential office. As the presidential office strongly criticized Ahn’s remarks, it became difficult for him to claim to be pro-Yoon. However, it is not easy to change because Candidate Cheon, who clearly holds an anti-Yoon position, exists. Although not as firm as former lawmaker Na, who said he would never be anti-Yoon, Candidate Ahn is struggling to find his footing between pro-Yoon and anti-Yoon positions. This is why attention is focused on what decision he will make after this breathing space.

Following former lawmaker Na, who clashed with the presidential office, voices criticizing the presidential office’s excessive intervention have also emerged. Cho Won-jin, leader of Our Republican Party, said on YTN's 'News King Park Ji-hoon' program, "This is the destruction of party democracy. The presidential office intervenes too much. Even if they intervene in party affairs, there should be limits," and added, "And they treat the public like fools. After doing so much until now, and now... Didn’t former lawmaker Na say that?" criticizing the office.

Hong Joon-pyo, mayor of Daegu and senior advisor to the ruling party, interpreted the clash between the presidential office and Candidate Ahn as a 'confrontation with the next power.' Through his social media, he said, "President Yoon has little political experience and no political base in Yeouido. Although people talk about 'Yoonhaekgwan,' that is just a tiny minority and a term coined by former leader Lee. Therefore, President Yoon’s side wants to establish a political base in Yeouido through this party convention, but since it is not going well, they are frustrated," adding, "Potential candidates competing for the next leadership know very well that if Candidate Ahn becomes party leader, the next primary will be unfair. Can they just watch silently?" he said with a meaningful remark.