Presidential Office on 'Yoon New Party Formation Rumors': "Absurd... The President Has No Mentor"

Eunhye Kim, Chief Public Relations Officer: "President Prohibits Discussing Official Matters in Private Relationships"
Attorney Shin Appears on Radio: "In Polls, People Power Party Faces Total Defeat... Considering New Party Formation"

The Presidential Office dismissed President Yoon Seok-yeol's 'new party formation rumor' on the 4th as "absurd nonsense." In particular, regarding the claim made by lawyer Shin Pyeong, who is called President Yoon's 'mentor,' the office drew a clear line, calling it "an absurd story."

Kim Eun-hye, the Presidential Office's Chief of Public Relations, stated in a written briefing that "'President's mentor' is an absurd story," adding, "Due to the President's long public service career, it is fundamentally taboo to discuss official matters in private relationships outside the official channels."

She further said, "Since assuming the presidency, the President has never had any discussions with Mr. Shin Pyeong regarding state affairs or political issues," and added, "We hope that such absurd and confusing remarks that could cause public confusion will never be made again."

Lawyer Shin appeared on KBS's 'Joo Jin-woo Live' the previous day and said, "Recently, the People Power Party conducted a public opinion poll, and the results were so shocking that they caused a state of panic within the party," suggesting that President Yoon is considering forming a new party. He said, "The poll showed that the People Power Party was completely wiped out in the metropolitan area, almost annihilated. Moreover, the total number of seats is expected to decrease even further compared to the current seats, resulting in a disastrous outcome that has caused significant shock." He added, "In this process, I heard that President Yoon said, 'The People Power Party is absolutely no good,' and that he is even considering forming a new party." He continued, "I don't know how credible this is, but I think President Yoon is seriously contemplating this issue in relation to next year's general election."

Lawyer Shin also claimed that President Yoon has faced consistent criticism within the party. He said, "President Yoon is a political newcomer, but people like Yoo Seung-min, who has long-standing stakes in the People Power Party, former party leader Lee Jun-seok, and Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo have always disparaged and criticized President Yoon. In this situation, we need to consider whether the President can lead this party and achieve his political goals."