[Comprehensive] Joo Ho-young Promoted 'Opposition Alliance'... But Will Ahn Cheol-soo and Geum Tae-seop Respond?

Joo Ho-young "Victory Requires Unity Among Those Who Share the Same Purpose"
Ahn Cheol-soo, in Media Interview, "No Intention to Run for Seoul Mayor"
Geum Tae-seop "People Power Party Needs Greater Reflection Than Democratic Party"

Joo Ho-young, Floor Leader of the People Power Party / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] As the ruling People Power Party (PPP) mentions a 'broad opposition coalition' in relation to the April by-elections for the Seoul and Busan mayoral seats next year, Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People Party, and former Democratic Party lawmaker Geum Tae-seop are gaining attention. However, Ahn maintains his stance of not running in the Seoul mayoral election this time, and there are observations that former lawmaker Geum is unlikely to participate in a PPP-led opposition coalition, suggesting potential difficulties.

Earlier, on the 4th, Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the PPP, appeared on MBC radio and mentioned the possibility of a unified opposition candidate running.

On that day, Floor Leader Joo said, "Both Ahn and former lawmaker Geum share the view that this administration is doing things wrong," adding, "In elections, isn't the most important thing the structure? So people who share the same intentions become a single candidate, and by joining forces, the chances of victory increase."

Regarding specific plans for the PPP to bring in Ahn, former lawmaker Geum, and form a broad opposition coalition, he said, "(The PPP) party rules and regulations require primaries, so it will be difficult to avoid that," but explained, "If the proportion of party member votes is lowered and the ratio of general public or opinion polls is increased, it will be easier to make a decision."

The mention of a broad opposition coalition within some opposition circles seems to stem from a sense of crisis that the opposition must unite and wage an 'all-out battle' to win the next Seoul mayoral election. However, actual formation of such a coalition is expected to face difficulties.

Ahn Cheol-soo, Leader of the People Party / Photo by Yonhap News

First, Ahn has consistently expressed his intention to bypass the Seoul mayoral race and head straight to the presidential election. In an interview with the Korea Times on the 23rd of last month, Ahn said, "I have said many times that I have no intention of running (in the by-election)," and firmly stated, "I will absolutely not run for Seoul mayor."

He added, "What the Seoul mayor can change and what the president can change are different in scope," emphasizing, "There is a sense of crisis that if the regime is not changed, we will fall into ruin."

In an interview with JoongAng Ilbo on the 4th, Ahn reiterated, "There is no change in my intention not to run, and I have never considered merging [with other parties]."

Geum Tae-seop, former member of the Democratic Party of Korea / Photo by Yonhap News

There are also indications that former lawmaker Geum is unlikely to participate in a PPP-centered opposition coalition. When Geum left the Democratic Party on the 21st of last month, rumors about his Seoul mayoral candidacy surfaced in some quarters.

At that time, former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon shared related articles on his Facebook, stating, "It is still too early to talk about this, but if he runs, my vote will go to him," and openly expressed support, saying, "I had no candidate to support, so this is timely."

In an interview with News1, Geum responded to questions about the Seoul mayoral candidacy rumors by saying, "I just left the party today, so it is too early to talk about that," but added, "I will look for ways to contribute to our society as a politician going forward."

However, when asked about joining the PPP, he indirectly drew a line, saying, "The PPP is a party that requires even greater reflection and change than the Democratic Party."

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