As Yoon Seok-yeol and Choi Jae-hyung Step Up... Opposition Candidates Focus Intensely on 'Women, Youth, and Economy' Majors

Jeju Province Governor Won Hee-ryong, former Future United Party lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, former Liberty Korea Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn (Photo source: Yonhap News), People Power Party lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo / Photo by Yoon Dong-joo

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] As candidates outside the party such as former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol and Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung have begun their activities, presidential hopefuls within the opposition camp are also solidifying their domains by emphasizing their areas of expertise such as economy, women, and youth.

Former Future United Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) lawmaker Yoo Seung-min is focusing on his strength as an economist. On the morning of the 28th, he appeared on a radio show and stated, "I have put forward the catchphrase of fair growth where economic growth and welfare go hand in hand," expressing his determination to become an "economic president." Yoo also presented his policy vision, saying, "The economy must grow to solve problems such as low birthrate, polarization, and inequality," proposing the cultivation of one million innovative talents and breaking the dual structure of the labor market through labor reform.

Jeju Province Governor Won Hee-ryong is positioning ‘women’s policy’ as a differentiating strategy. On the afternoon of the same day, he gave a lecture to female party officials at the People Power Party headquarters, focusing on ‘women-friendly’ policies. Governor Won highlighted his experience contributing to gender equality, such as establishing the first Gender Equality Policy Officer position among local governments nationwide and increasing the proportion of women in managerial positions.

Hong Joon-pyo, who rejoined the People Power Party on the 24th, is targeting youth. On the afternoon of the same day, he attended a ‘Youth Policy Talk Show’ held at a performance venue in Mapo-gu, Seoul, attempting to communicate with young people in their 20s and 30s. This appears to be a strategy to break away from the image of strong conservatism and predominantly elderly support. On the 29th, he will officially launch his presidential campaign by releasing a national interview report that will serve as the foundation for his election pledges.

Former Liberty Korea Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) leader Hwang Kyo-ahn has adopted the slogan ‘Normalization of the Abnormal.’ This phrase reflects the core values of former President Park Geun-hye’s administration and was widely used at the time. Hwang served as Prime Minister during the Park Geun-hye government. Introducing his recently published book, “Top-tier Normal State: Politics in the Post-Corona Era with the Next Generation,” he emphasized the necessity of regime change. Hwang plans to hold a book launch event on the 30th and officially announce his presidential candidacy.

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