Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol (right) and Rep. Hong Jun-pyo, candidates for the People’s Strength presidential election, attend the 2nd National Congress held at the Baekbeom Kimgu Memorial Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on November 5, 2018 and await the announcement of the results. By Oh Dae-geun
“I heard it was a slightly tense conversation.”
Lee Jun-seok, representative of People’s Power
The atmosphere conveyed by President Lee Jun-seok on the 20th regarding the private dinner meeting between presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol and People’s Strength Representative Hong Jun-pyo was not friendly.
After losing the People’s Power presidential primary in November last year, Rep. Hong has been keeping his distance from Candidate Yoon. Although he was listed as a standing adviser to the Daegu Election Response Committee, he did not take the lead in supporting the election. Recently, he wrote and deleted a post criticizing Yun’s spouse, Kim Kun-hee, and even declared silence until the election.
The meeting between the two was made possible thanks to the active courtship of Candidate Yoon. At the meeting the previous day, Rep. Hong presented two conditions for joining the ‘one team’.
First, ‘We need to take measures to guarantee the ability to manage state affairs to relieve public anxiety.’ Second, ‘Please declare to the public that your wife will strictly punish corruption.’
Will Yoon Seok-yeol and Hong Jun-pyo accept the conditions of joining the original team?
Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol (left), a preliminary candidate for the 20th Presidential Election for the Power of the People, shakes hands with Rep. Hong Jun-pyo at the second national convention held at the Kim Gu Memorial Hall in Yongsan-gu, Yongsan-gu, Seoul on November 5, last year. By Oh Dae-geun
President Lee predicted that the second of these, the declaration of strict measures once morest his wife’s corruption would be difficult for Candidate Yoon to readily accept. The observation is that it would be too burdensome to even make a political declaration following having already stated the principle of imposing strict family-related standards.
In addition, some media reported that Rep. Hong demanded the right to nominate in Jongno, Seoul regarding the first condition, measures to ensure the ability to manage state affairs. In response, the members of Candidate Yoon’s side are furious, and the one-team action seems to be creaking before even starting.
In an interview with CBS Radio on the 20th, CEO Lee said, “Even following the last report of MBC’s ‘Straight’, our candidate (Yoon) is responding to the public with a fairly humble attitude, and the candidate’s spouse is also expressing regret for problematic remarks. “I don’t know what it means to be a candidate going lower than the current keynote,” he said.
Rep. Hong’s request was also interpreted as “a somewhat unpleasant and emotionally acceptable part from the standpoint of Candidate Yoon.” Representative Lee added, “It is the candidate’s original principle not to measure family corruption by double standards.
“It seems likely that the decision will be made 24 days before Hong Joon-pyo joins.”
Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol (left) and Rep. Hong Jun-pyo, preliminary candidates for the People’s Strength Presidential Election, sit on the podium at the second national convention for the election of the 20th presidential candidate held at the Baekbeom Kimgu Memorial Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on November 5, last year. By Oh Dae-geun
Regarding the first condition, measures to guarantee state management capability, CEO Lee interpreted it as a ‘personal greeting.’ “Doesn’t that mean that you should use someone that the people trust?” He explained, “I would have recommended people who might be said to be good people from the people’s point of view rather than those who had a long relationship with Congressman Hong himself.”
However, with regard to the first condition right now, there have been some reports that Rep. Hong has requested the right to nominate for a by-election for the National Assembly members to be held along with the March 9 presidential election. It is said that he requested the nomination of former Auditor General Choi Jae-hyeong, who had helped Rep. Hong following resigning from the presidential primary in Jongno, Seoul, and people close to him in Jungnam-gu, Daegu.
As a result, candidates from Candidate Yoon’s side are in a heated mood. In fact, the nomination right in the Jongno election, which has a lot of political symbolism, which has to run as a presidential candidate and running mate, is the candidate’s realm.
However, CEO Lee predicted, “(Whether or not to join Representative Hong) will be decided somehow before next Monday (24th).”
“Kim Kun-hee, interested in private ownership and shamanism? Rather, a person who is practical as a businessman”
The Segye Ilbo released the video on the 17th, saying that Jeon, a shaman named Geonjin Beopsa, showed no hesitation, such as hitting the shoulder of Yoon Seok-yeol, the People’s Power presidential candidate. Segye Ilbo Youtube Capture
Representative Lee argued that he was recommended by the so-called ‘Yun Hak-kwan (a key person in Yoon Seok-yeol’s side)’ in relation to Jeon Mo, who is known to be close with candidate Yoon Seok-yeol.
He said, “I confirmed that it was a recommendation from another key member of the lawmaker, not a recommendation from the candidate and spouse.”
Then, to the host’s question, ‘Were you acquainted with Kim Geon-hee?’, he said, “It was not a relationship he recommended at all.”
In response to the question, ‘Is Mr. Kim very interested in magical things such as sage, shamanism, and swordsmanship?’, CEO Lee asserted, “I didn’t feel that way at all when we met.” He added, “Because he is a business person, he makes a lot of very pragmatic remarks.”
Kang Yoon-ju reporter kkang@hankookilbo.com
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