Consolidating Conservative Support? Pro-Park Nominations?… Yoon and Park Meet Again After 12 Days

President Yoon Visits Park's Residence in Daegu for Over an Hour of Conversation
"Holding TK Public Sentiment and Blocking New Party Movements"
"Did They Discuss Pro-Park Nominations Like Yoo Young-ha?" Analysis Also

President Yoon Suk-yeol met former President Park Geun-hye again on the 7th, just 12 days after the memorial service for former President Park Chung-hee. Analysts interpret this as a sign of his intention to unify the conservative camp ahead of next year's general election.

On that day, President Yoon visited former President Park Geun-hye's residence in Dalseong-gun, Daegu, and had a conversation with her. This reunion came 12 days after they met at the 44th anniversary memorial service for former President Park Chung-hee's passing on the 26th of last month.

Former President Park Geun-hye welcomed President Yoon by coming down to the front steps, and President Yoon mentioned the achievements of former President Park Chung-hee, discussing for over an hour about his past experience in state administration and summit diplomacy.

In political circles, this is seen as an appeal to conservative voters and an attempt by President Yoon to suppress the increasingly visible movement of Lee Jun-seok's new party formation. Democratic Party lawmaker Woo Sang-ho said, "The presidential office and the ruling party are aware that the sentiment in TK (Daegu and North Gyeongsang) is unusual," adding, "The fact that the sitting president frequently meets a former president whom he had investigated and imprisoned shows how urgent the situation has become."

Lawmaker Woo appeared on CBS Radio's 'Park Jae-hong's One-on-One' that afternoon and said, "Frequent visits to TK seem intended to block the possibility of a third new party that could be formed by former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min or former leader Lee Jun-seok, and the core of that intention appears to be frequently visiting former President Park Geun-hye and conveying such news."

President Yoon Suk-yeol visited the residence of former President Park Geun-hye in Dalseong-gun, Daegu on the 7th, and is seen walking and talking with former President Park. [Image provided by the Presidential Office, Yonhap News]

Some speculate that during their conversation, discussions about the candidacies of pro-Park (pro-Park Geun-hye) figures such as lawyer Yoo Young-ha and former Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Choi Kyung-hwan for the general election took place. In other words, there is a so-called 'Park's share' in the ruling party's nominations for next year's general election.

Jang Sung-chul, director of the Public Opinion Center, said on KBS's 'The Live' on the 7th, "I speculate that former President Park Geun-hye might have expressed something like, 'Please help our lawyer Yoo play an important role in next year's general election,'" adding, "If figures like Choi Kyung-hwan and Woo Byung-woo run as independents or in other coalition forms in Daegu and North Gyeongsang instead of as People Power Party candidates next year, it would significantly disrupt the party's plans for the general election. It seems they meet frequently to soothe such issues."

However, People Power Party lawmaker Ha Tae-kyung argued, "From President Yoon's perspective, winning and securing a majority in the general election is the most important, and former President Park likely shares the same view," adding, "Since former President Park is also a politician, if her requests negatively affect the ruling party's majority, she would likely feel a great burden in making such requests. Therefore, I don't think she made many personal requests."

On the 8th, Lawmaker Ha said on BBS Radio, "President Yoon often refers to the achievements of former presidents, and it seems he visits frequently due to the combination of former President Park Chung-hee's great leadership and his sympathy and compassion for former President Park Geun-hye," adding, "The sentiment in the TK region is unfavorable, and pro-Park faction members are likely to run as independents either inside or outside the party, so there is also a political intention to prevent this."