As Soon as Seol Holiday Ends, 'Yoon Visit' Expected... What's Behind It? [Yongsan Report]

Jeong Jinseok and Other Presidential Aides Visit President Yoon Today
More 'Messengers' for Yoon... Leveraging Prison Politics
Ruling Party Seeks to Rally Conservatives Using Yoon's 'Bulletproof Support Base'

As soon as the Lunar New Year holiday ended, pro-Yoon figures within the presidential office and the People Power Party eagerly sought meetings with President Yoon Suk-yeol. President Yoon has also been actively accepting visits from close aides, drawing attention to the background of these meetings.

Yonhap News

On the 31st, according to the presidential office and ruling party sources, Chief Presidential Secretary Jeong Jin-seok and Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Cheol-ho visited President Yoon, who is detained at Seoul Detention Center. Within the People Power Party, Floor Leader Kwon Seong-dong and Representative Yoon Sang-hyun have already expressed their intention to meet, and many other lawmakers are hoping for visits as well.

President Yoon’s general visits are limited to once a day, with groups of 3 to 5 people, and are further restricted to 2 to 3 times a week due to impeachment trials and criminal court schedules. Leadership-level figures are meeting first, with plans to coordinate visits from pro-Yoon lawmakers and secretaries later.

The surge of ruling party figures seeking visits immediately after the holiday appears to be influenced by President Yoon’s still-solid far-right support base. A ruling party official said, "There are various evaluations of President Yoon within the party, but there is no disagreement that the far-right support base will be necessary in the upcoming early presidential election phase."

On the afternoon of the 25th, participants shouted slogans at a rally opposing the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-yeol, hosted by the Korea Restoration Movement Headquarters, held in the Sejong-daero area of Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

For President Yoon, visits hold significant potential for utilization. Until now, he has expressed his positions through written statements, Facebook, and verbal messages from his legal team, but if politicians and close aides who meet him directly join in spreading messages, it could facilitate public opinion campaigns.

Pro-Yoon lawmakers and others are consolidating conservative support and preparing for an early presidential election by absorbing President Yoon’s steadfast "bulletproof support base" even after his indictment and detention, while President Yoon is expected to strengthen "prison politics" by using visitors as messengers.

In particular, the political sphere is paying close attention to whether First Lady Kim Geon-hee, who has remained silent since the martial law incident, will make a visit. If First Lady Kim steps forward, it could evoke sympathy and consolidate conservative support, but conversely, it might worsen public opinion among moderate voters. It is known that her side has not scheduled any visits immediately, considering these factors.

However, in a statement released through his lawyer on the 28th during the Lunar New Year holiday, President Yoon mentioned, "My health has deteriorated, and (my wife) worries a lot," suggesting a likelihood of frequently using First Lady Kim in public opinion efforts. Therefore, the possibility of a surprise visit by First Lady Kim being disclosed later cannot be ruled out.