Yoon Suk-yeol: "April 7 By-election, the Starting Point of a Counterattack to Restore Common Sense and Justice"

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is expressing his intention to resign from the position of Prosecutor General as he arrives at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 4th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Choyoung] Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol said that the April 7 Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections "will be the starting point of a counterattack to restore common sense and justice."

According to the Chosun Ilbo on the 29th, in an interview with the media, former Yoon responded to the question, "What significance do you think this by-election holds?" by saying, "Have you forgotten why the Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections are being held?"

He said, "Due to sexual crimes involving abuse of power, the first and second largest cities in South Korea are forced to hold elections again at a huge cost to taxpayers. How unfortunate is that?" He added, "Despite this, various forms of secondary harm continue during the election process. The current ruling party has no intention of correcting their mistakes."

Recently, the Democratic Party of Korea has been criticized for causing secondary harm to sexual crime victims. On the 23rd, former Presidential Chief of Staff Lim Jong-seok wrote on his Facebook, "Was Park Won-soon really such a terrible person? If integrity is still an important ethic for public officials, Park Won-soon was the most honest public official I know." Following this, Democratic Party Seoul mayoral candidate Park Young-sun included Democratic Party lawmakers Nam In-soon, Jin Sun-mi, and Ko Min-jung?who referred to the late mayor's sexual harassment victims as "complainants"?in her campaign team but removed them after controversy. Democratic Party Busan mayoral candidate Kim Young-chun also sparked controversy by including lawyer Jung Jae-sung, who represented former Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don, as a co-chair of the joint campaign committee.

Former Yoon said, "Citizens have patiently observed all these processes. Their votes will be the starting point of a counterattack to restore common sense and justice," adding, "Voting changes things. Isn't democracy a system where citizens confidently hold politicians and political forces accountable for their mistakes, and those who err must take responsibility?"

When asked if he plans to directly support opposition candidates' campaigns, he replied, "I do not have any special plans at the moment," but added, "As a citizen, I am well aware of the importance of this election." This is interpreted as tacit support for the opposition, which is effectively advocating for a judgment on the current administration.

Since his resignation, former Yoon has been meeting with elders and experts from various fields. His first external schedule was on the 19th, when he met Kim Hyung-seok, a "101-year-old elder philosopher" and honorary professor at Yonsei University. On the 22nd, he met with former National Intelligence Service Director Lee Jong-chan, who is closely acquainted with his father, Yoon Ki-jung, an honorary professor at Yonsei University.

When asked if he is preparing for full-scale political participation, he said, "While in public office, I was restricted and could not pursue certain thoughts or studies, so I am calmly doing that now," adding, "I spend my time quietly reading books at home."

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