Ahn Cheolsoo: "I Held Back From Confronting Yoon... Became Closer With Lawmakers After Impeachment" [People Power Party Leadership Candidate Interview]

Ahn Cheolsoo: "We Cannot Embrace Extreme 'Yoon Again' Supporters"
"Who Can Defeat Kim Bookyum in Daegu at Next Year's Local Elections?"
"If All Innovation Candidates Are Eliminated, It Will Be Our Party's Misfortune"
"After Yoon Disappeared, I Can Dine Comfortably with Lawmakers"

Representative Ahn Cheolsoo, who is running for the leadership of the People Power Party, stated, "I believe that less than 5% of People Power Party supporters advocate for 'Yoon Sukyeol Again.'" He emphasized that the extreme factions within the party who defend the 12·3 Martial Law should form a new party and leave.

In an interview with Asia Economy at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on July 29, Ahn said, "If the People Power Party receives only 17% support, which is the support for defending the impeachment, and contests next year's local elections, we will lose everything except for the Daegu mayor and Gyeongbuk governor." He also predicted that if former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum runs as the Democratic Party candidate in Daegu, there is a possibility of losing Daegu as well.

Regarding party leadership candidates Kim Moonsoo and Jang Donghyuk, who are classified as 'anti-impeachment,' he said, "They are not true conservatives." He further criticized former President Yoon, stating, "When we were discussing unifying the presidential candidates, he said he would help as much as possible, whether as a cabinet member or as party leader, but he only interfered. In fact, I was going to confront him, but I endured it for the success of the government. I never imagined that martial law would be declared in less than three years." The following is a Q&A with Representative Ahn.

Ahn Cheolsoo, a member of the National Assembly running for the leadership of the People Power Party, is giving an interview to Asia Economy at his office in the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 29th of last month. Photo by Ahn Cheolsoo's Office

-How do you evaluate Kim Moonsoo and Jang Donghyuk as party leadership candidates?

▲I do not consider either of them to be true conservatives. During the presidential election, Kim Moonsoo was not an advocate of martial law. At the end, he even made a deep bow of apology regarding martial law and impeachment as he campaigned. However, as the party leadership election approached, he shifted towards defending martial law. Jang Donghyuk originally belonged to the Han Donghoon faction and voiced calls for reform, but suddenly switched to the complete opposite stance.

-What do you think will happen if either Kim Moonsoo or Jang Donghyuk becomes party leader?

▲At the time of the impeachment ruling, about 70% of public opinion was in favor. Now that the presidential election is over, it is probably close to 80%. In this situation, if the People Power Party contests next year's local elections with only 17% support, we could lose everything except for the Daegu mayor and Gyeongbuk governor, just like in 2018. It could actually be even worse than back then. There are rumors that former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum will run for Daegu mayor next year, and I am concerned about who in our party could win against him.

-What percentage of People Power Party supporters do you think are calling for 'Yoon Again'?

▲I believe it is less than 5%. If we become fixated on that, 20% of the rational conservative base will break away. A democratic party is made up of people with slightly different views, but we should not try to embrace those who support 'Yoon Again' and defend martial law. That will only create internal strife and weaken the party. Those who defend martial law should form their own party and operate separately.

-Is there a possibility of unifying candidacies with Jo Kyungtae and others during the preliminary primary?

▲This election is, in a word, a battle between innovation and anti-innovation. Four candidates will be selected in the primary, and even if two of them are anti-innovation, if two are innovation candidates, then half of those discussing innovation will remain. There is no need to unify candidacies in advance. Also, since there will be a runoff, it can become a one-on-one contest between innovation and anti-innovation.

-But what if the innovation candidates do not make it to the runoff?

▲That would be the misfortune of our party. Next year's local elections are certain to be a defeat.

Ahn Cheolsoo, a member of the National Assembly running for the leadership of the People Power Party, is giving an interview to Asia Economy at his office in the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 29th of last month. Photo by Ahn Cheolsoo Office

-It is pointed out that your weakness is a lack of power within the parliamentary group. Why is that?

▲(When Yoon Sukyeol was the 20th presidential candidate) he told me that if I wanted to join as a cabinet member, I could work as a cabinet member, and if I wanted to become party leader, he would help as much as possible. That is why I ran in the party convention. But, unexpectedly, the presidential office completely obstructed me. The president even called me an 'enemy of state administration,' so from then on, lawmakers were afraid to meet me one-on-one for meals, worried that it would be reported to the presidential office. They made it impossible for me to gather people. Ironically, after former President Yoon disappeared, lawmakers now feel comfortable having meals with me.

-You helped Yoon Sukyeol as a presidential candidate at the time.

▲The public is watching everything. Some people misunderstand me, saying, 'Is he really that weak?' In fact, I was thinking of confronting (then-candidate Yoon) at the time. I could have said, 'How can someone who promised to help with candidate unification act like this?' Still, it was a government I helped create, so I had to make it succeed. That is why I endured. But I never imagined that martial law would be declared in less than three years.

-What do you think a 'conservative party' is?

▲The core value of conservatism is upholding the Constitution and the rule of law. The second is policy competence. In the past, even when the party was called a 'cash truck party,' people still said, 'But they are good at the economy.' The third is noblesse oblige. I am proud that I donated half of my assets. I also donated 500,000 won to flood relief this time. I did not apply for the nationwide livelihood support fund because I oppose it. That means there is less of a drain on the national treasury.

-If you become party leader, what economic and livelihood policies are you planning?

▲One of the most disappointing policies of Lee Jaemyung is the plan to raise the KOSPI to 5,000. The policy is to encourage companies to distribute their reserves as dividends, but that only benefits short-term investors. The president is also a short-term investor. He only sees what he knows. If you distribute money like that, the market will rise briefly and then quickly return to its original state. If the goal is KOSPI 5,000, companies with large reserves should be given incentives to invest in new industries.