Ruling Party Leadership Omits Mention of Yoon's Press Conference at Supreme Council
Voices Within Party Say "He Should Apologize" and "Don't Pressure Yoon"
Concerns Over Final Press Conference
On the 7th, members of the People Power Party are on high alert regarding the content of President Yoon Suk-yeol's national address and his no-holds-barred press conference. If this conference provides an opportunity for reform that the public can accept, it could stabilize the second half of the Yoon administration’s term. However, if it fails to do so, the sense of crisis may intensify further. Some voices also express concerns that the no-holds-barred conference could trigger another wave of repercussions.
Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, and Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader, refrained from mentioning President Yoon’s press conference during the party’s Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that morning. Instead, they focused on congratulating Donald Trump on his U.S. presidential election victory, the Korea-U.S. alliance, the dispatch of an observation team to the Ukraine war, and the trial of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.
Ahead of President Yoon’s press conference, the ruling party is maintaining a stance of offering advice and suggestions behind the scenes while avoiding overt pressure. The day before, Han presided over a series of meetings with 5th and 6th-term as well as 3rd and 4th-term party lawmakers to gather their opinions related to the president’s press conference. At that time, Han and senior lawmakers expressed the hope that "the president’s address would serve as an opportunity for change and reform with a humble attitude toward the people," but they did not disclose specific issues to be conveyed.
However, individually, lawmakers have expressed both hopes and concerns, such as "President Yoon should offer a sincere apology and express his will for reform and change," and "Since it is the president’s time, we should wait and see."
Han Ji-a, a pro-Yoon senior spokesperson for the People Power Party, appeared on SBS Radio that day and stated, "The era when it was necessary to have the first lady and the president’s spouse present for diplomatic activities with persuasive power is over. Many people think that the first lady’s diplomatic activities are not necessarily essential given our national power level," urging that "Kim Geon-hee’s complete suspension of external activities is necessary."
Regarding personnel reform, she also pointed out, "I don’t understand why there are claims that changing the people who make policies is just for show and artificial when public sentiment has turned against us," adding, "Changing the method leads to different results, and personnel reform to change people in order to change the method is basic, isn’t it?"
Cho Kyung-tae, a pro-Yoon and the most senior (6-term) lawmaker of the People Power Party, also met with reporters at the National Assembly the previous day and said, "I hope the president will honestly and candidly explain and apologize for the controversies surrounding Mrs. Kim and other allegations," warning, "If there is no sincere explanation and apology, the need for a special prosecutor investigation into Mrs. Kim could be raised even within the ruling party."
On the other hand, some senior lawmakers have called for reducing pressure on President Yoon and focusing on internal unity. After a meeting the previous day, lawmaker Kwon Young-se was asked whether there were remarks during the meeting suggesting that Yongsan should not be pressured, to which he replied, "That is something I usually say." He added, "I spoke in the hope that the press conference would go well and become an opportunity for us to regain public support."
Lawmaker Na Kyung-won also emphasized, "Now is the president’s time. We must wait," and stressed, "After the address is announced, the party and government should unite their efforts to secure momentum for governance in the second half."
There are also claims that the format of the press conference, particularly the no-holds-barred debate, could cause other problems. Lawmaker Park Soo-young wrote on Facebook the previous day, "'Unlimited questions' and a no-holds-barred conference are planned. I don’t know who suggested this, but it is a wrong proposal," expressing concern that "While we must prepare thoroughly with sincere and slightly more advanced content, we should never accept unlimited questions or no-holds-barred debates, as they could trigger new risks."
Handonghun, leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 7th. Photo by Kim Hyunmin
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
