羅 Representative Park Jong-hee: "Difficult to Support Na Kyung-won and Ahn Cheol-soo"

"That's Ahn Cheol-soo's Responsibility... Can't Blend into the Party"
"There Are Doubts Whether They Are Really Our Party Members"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Park Jong-hee, a former lawmaker representing former lawmaker Na Kyung-won who decided not to run, stated that the reason former lawmaker Na chose to support candidate Kim Ki-hyun, who made a 'three visits' effort, rather than candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, who actively extended a hand for alliance, is because "former lawmaker Na finds it difficult to support candidate Ahn."

On the 8th, Park said on KBS's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strongest Current Affairs,' "In a way, that is candidate Ahn's responsibility."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, candidate Kim and former lawmaker Na met in Jung-gu, Seoul the previous day and announced that they "shared many perceptions." After declaring his withdrawal and going into seclusion, former lawmaker Na was visited three times by candidate Kim, who made a 'three visits' effort, which evidently succeeded.

However, considering that former lawmaker Na's withdrawal was accompanied by attacks from the 'Pro-Yoon (친윤)' faction, political circles analyze that the relationship between candidate Kim, who has 'Yoon's heart (윤심),' and former lawmaker Na, even if they have declared support on the surface, may not be entirely smooth. Former lawmaker Park also conveyed the atmosphere on site, saying, "Many reporters said that the scene yesterday seemed a bit uncomfortable between them. Their true feelings seemed to show on their expressions."

Despite this uncomfortable relationship, he explained that it is not easy for former lawmaker Na to support candidate Ahn. Park said, "There is a slight difference between the general public's view of candidate Ahn from our party and the party members' view," adding, "Party members are well aware of the political backstories and candidate Ahn's past actions."

He pointed out candidate Ahn's political background of repeatedly founding parties, leaving parties, and merging parties. He said, "Those who have observed candidate Ahn's various processes of mixing and not mixing, running and then withdrawing, have a somewhat different level of trust in him," adding, "He has not yet blended into the party, and there still seems to be some doubt about whether he is truly a party member."

He noted that since the party mainstream strongly supports the president, it is difficult for candidates like Ahn or Chun Ha-ram to establish themselves within the party mainstream. Former lawmaker Park said, "For the health of the party, they may express opinions and serve as symbols of intra-party democracy, but breaking through that barrier to become party leader will not be easy."