Yeo Sangkyu: "Firm Decision Not to Run... Hwang Should Create an Atmosphere Welcoming Yoo Seungmin"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy, reporter Lee Jieun] Yeo Sangkyu, a lawmaker from the Liberty Korea Party, has announced that he will not run in this year's general election. Hwang Kyoahn, the party leader, emphasized the need to relinquish vested interests and embrace external conservative forces, including lawmaker Yoo Seungmin.

On January 2, during an appearance on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jongbae's Focus,' Yeo declared his decision not to run, stating, "In the current political climate, there is no place for me in the National Assembly."

He criticized the recent handling of key bills such as the election law and the law to establish the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIHCO), saying, "I do not agree with the way these important bills are being fast-tracked and pushed through. Forcing the CIHCO law through despite opposition from the minority party is a political reality that should not exist in a country of South Korea's stature."

Yeo also pointed out that the resignation of Liberty Korea Party lawmakers was meaningless. He said, "When the mixed-member proportional representation election law and the CIHCO bill were being processed in the National Assembly, they should have physically blocked them. Watching Liberty Korea Party lawmakers' behavior in the main chamber after everything had already passed was extremely powerless," he lamented. "I felt tremendous anger about that." He added that even if physically blocking the bills would have violated the National Assembly Advancement Act, it was legally defensible, and the party leadership should have taken responsibility and encouraged such action.

In this context, he also stressed that the party leadership must pursue a 'grand conservative unity' by giving up vested interests. Yeo said, "Extraordinary measures must be taken, and those measures should ultimately lead to opposition unity and a grand conservative coalition. Under the banner of liberalism, the entire opposition must unite. If everyone clings to their vested interests, unity cannot be achieved. Therefore, all vested interests must be relinquished," he emphasized.

Regarding Hwang's remarks at a New Year's luncheon on January 1, where he referred to Yoo Seungmin of the New Conservative Party as 'Yoo so-and-so' and said that the New Conservative Party is not the only group to be unified, Yeo commented, "The New Conservative Party, including Yoo Seungmin and those seeking to establish it, are key partners in unification. It is Hwang's responsibility to create an atmosphere where such people are welcomed and can join under the banner of conservative liberalism."

On Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae's claim that she should exercise her authority to direct investigations into the fast-track clash case and allegations involving Na Kyungwon's children, Yeo argued, "If that was her intention, she should not have become Justice Minister," adding, "If a minister encourages actions that violate the duty of political neutrality, she is completely unfit to oversee the prosecution."

Regarding the ruling party's argument that Prosecutor General Yoon Seokyeol's aides or some investigation teams should be subject to personnel changes, Yeo said, "The Justice Minister's duty is to institutionally ensure that prosecutors can conduct independent investigations under political neutrality. Removing prosecutors from ongoing investigations by transferring them to other departments is not the Justice Minister's role," he said. "If the sword is pointed at them, they criticize; if it is pointed at the opposition, they simply urge action. If the ruling party's generosity is at that level, including President Moon Jaein, they truly are not qualified to govern," he criticized.

Regarding preparations for establishing the CIHCO, Yeo said, "The CIHCO is not affiliated with any ministry. It is not under the Ministry of Justice but is being established as an independent agency," he pointed out, adding, "The Ministry of Justice should not be involved in this matter."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.