Ahn Cheol-soo: "Positive about Han Deok-soo's early verdict... Even for communication with the US"

"If Lee Jaemyung is acquitted,
he should run in the election cleanly then"

The Democratic Party announced that it will push for the impeachment of Choi Sang-mok, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, while Ahn Cheol-soo, a member of the People Power Party, predicted that "impeachment will be difficult."

On the 21st, Ahn appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' and said, "Our country's economy is precarious, and national credibility is very unstable. So far, Acting Prime Minister Choi and the Governor of the Bank of Korea have been supporting this, maintaining the current level." He added, "If Acting Prime Minister Choi is impeached, the next in line will be Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education, who will take over the acting role. Even if he has economic knowledge, it may be insufficient compared to the Deputy Prime Minister for Economy, which could lead to a decline in national credibility, a surge in exchange rates, and various economic crises."

Ahn also stated, "I think it is positive to impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo (before the president)." He explained, "Currently, under the acting acting system, diplomacy with the United States is not functioning. When a president is appointed, all policies are established within six months, and based on those policies, the administration runs for four years. Since there is little time left, to shape things in the direction we want, at least Prime Minister Han must be resolved first."

Ahn Cheol-soo, member of the People Power Party. Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding the Democratic Party's defamation lawsuit against him, he criticized, "Isn't this a case of the pot calling the kettle black?" Ahn pointed out, "Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party, first suggested holding an AI debate with our party. I said I would adjust to any time convenient for him, but a week passed without any response." He added, "Since Leader Lee proposed the debate first and then ran away, he should be ashamed."

Ahn targeted Lee, saying, "What is an election? It is when voters choose with full knowledge of all the candidates' information. One of the candidates is currently on trial. We don't know if the verdict will be guilty or not. How can voters make a judgment in such a situation?" He continued, "If all five ongoing trials result in not guilty, then running cleanly in the election and receiving voters' judgment aligns with the most fundamental principle of democracy."

When asked about the early presidential election, he said, "The Constitutional Court's ruling has not yet come out, but politicians have a duty to prepare for various possibilities." He added, "I am preparing for various scenarios in my own way."