Hong Jun-pyo "Yoon Seok-yeol, If You Fear the Party Primary, How Will You Run in the General Election?"

"People's Support for Yoon Due to Opposition's Failure"
"Not a Politician Yet... Must Join Party and Undergo Verification"

Independent lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Independent lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo targeted former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, who is also mentioned as a presidential candidate from the opposition, saying, "If you are afraid to compete with me, how will you make it to the general election?"

On the 23rd, Hong appeared on MBN's 'Sisa Special' and responded to opposition to his return to the People Power Party, with some saying "If Hong joins the party, former Yoon will not want to enter," by saying, "How can someone who is afraid of the party primary go to the much tougher general election? It's like someone who can't climb Bukhansan trying to climb Everest."

Hong emphasized, "All those who want to be the opposition presidential candidate should gather and have a primary," adding, "Whether it's former Yoon or anyone else mentioned afterward, I do not oppose having a large opposition primary."

Regarding former Yoon, he said, "When he officially declares his political start, the public and both ruling and opposition parties will rush in to conduct a full-scale verification," and evaluated, "It is still difficult to see him as a politician."

He continued, "Former Yoon has spent his entire life only on prosecutorial work. The duties of the president do not correspond even 0.1% to prosecutorial work," adding, "The duties of the president cannot be learned by cramming. It requires long-term experience and accumulated wisdom. To be properly evaluated as a politician, one must go through a verification process and then be reborn as a politician."

On why former Yoon receives strong support from the public, he said, "Because the opposition is not performing its role properly," and targeted the People Power Party, saying, "The public has nowhere to put their trust, so former Yoon is rising. People dislike this administration, but they currently have nowhere to turn."

He also added, "Since it looks like former Yoon is facing President Moon alone, he inevitably rises, but the question of 'whether there is a real substance' must be addressed through the verification process once he enters politics."

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