'Yoon's 40-Year Confidant' Seok Dong-hyun, Liberty Unification Party Proportional Candidate No. 2... Will He Steal the Core Supporters?

Cutoff in People Power Party Primary
Proportional Representation No.1 is Hwangbo Seung-hee, Former People Power Party Member
Lawyer Seok: "Not Division... Need to Increase Voting Motivation"

President Yoon Suk-yeol and lawyer Seok Dong-hyun, known as '40-year close friends' (former Secretary General of the National Unification Advisory Council), announced on the 22nd that Seok will run as a proportional representative candidate for the Liberty Unification Party in the April 10 general election.

At a press conference held at the National Assembly that afternoon, lawyer Seok said, "Besides the People Power Party and its proportional party, we need to create a structure where a genuine right-wing party that can truly compete against malignant left-wing parties also participates."

Lawyer Seok Dong-hyun is holding a press conference to announce his candidacy for the 22nd general election as a member of the National Assembly for Songpa-gap at the National Assembly Communication Hall on the afternoon of the 18th. 2024.1.18 Photo by Yonhap News

Lawyer Seok, a classmate of President Yoon at Seoul National University Law School, previously applied for the People Power Party nomination in Songpa-gap, Seoul, but was cut off (excluded from the primary). He stated, "The opposition left-wing camp is equipped with various factions and even a centrist reform party that confuses voters. In contrast, in the conservative right-wing camp, voters disappointed with the People Power Party's nomination results and the sincerity of candidates are rapidly increasing in number, with some deciding not to vote at all. Strengthening the choices is urgent."

The Liberty Unification Party is a party that advocates traditional conservative right-wing values, with Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon of Sarang Jeil Church serving as its first leader. Hwang Bo-seung-hee, who left the People Power Party and is currently an independent, is serving as an incumbent lawmaker. Representative Hwang received the number one spot on the proportional representation list.

Due to lawyer Seok's proportional entry and other factors, there is speculation that the strong conservative faction dissatisfied with the proportional representation list may support the Liberty Unification Party instead of the People Power Party. Regarding this, lawyer Seok said, "I do not consider it a division. If the overall goals are the same, there is a need to unite into a single front. Our goal is to motivate voters to have the will to vote and to come to the polling stations."