The Day Yoon Seok-yeol Appeared... Ruling Party Calls Him "Unfit," Opposition Says "Preparing a Bouquet"

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is scheduled to hold a press conference at 1 p.m. on the 29th at the Maeheon Yun Bong-gil Memorial Hall in Seocho-gu, Seoul, to announce his presidential candidacy. In the morning, wreaths of support from Yoon's supporters were placed in front of the Yun Bong-gil Memorial Hall. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Can the 'swordsman of the era,' who has spent his life reading legal provisions and writing indictments, demonstrate his skills despite the negative attacks from the political sphere? As former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol declared his political participation on the 29th, the political world simultaneously showered him with both harsh criticism and support. Figures from the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) dismissed him as "unqualified," while the People Power Party (PPP) sent love calls, saying they are "preparing bouquets."

Chu Mi-ae, former Minister of Justice and a DPK presidential candidate, who is a key figure in the so-called ‘Chu-Yoon conflict,’ appeared on the radio on the 29th and directly criticized him as "an unqualified person who should not have presidential ambitions." She claimed that flaws had already been revealed during the disciplinary request and inspection process against former Prosecutor General Yoon while she was Minister of Justice. Chu said, "Even if the ruling party does not say anything, the opposition parties will compete and the truth will come out," adding, "Well-packaged wrapping will eventually be peeled off; it is only a matter of time."

Another DPK presidential candidate, Representative Lee Kwang-jae, criticized the investigation of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, saying it was "an attempt to kill a rival." He said, "Watching the investigation of Professor Cho Kuk (former Minister of Justice), I thought it was an attempt to kill a presidential candidate rival. It was too harsh," adding, "At that time, there were aspects of Professor Cho that did not meet the public’s expectations. However, I often wondered whether such an investigation was really necessary." He implied that former Prosecutor General Yoon had political investigations in mind from the start, anticipating political participation.

He also said that the so-called ‘X-file’ is less important than the ‘state affairs file.’ Lee stated, "There is a lot of talk about the X-file, but I am not very interested; the state affairs file is important," adding, "Economy and diplomacy make up 70 to 80 percent of the country." He pointed out that Yoon’s background is limited to prosecutorial work. DPK Representative Jung Chung-rae also said, "The issue is not whether he joins the People Power Party but whether he will complete the race, which I think is difficult."

On the other hand, Kim Ki-hyun, floor leader of the People Power Party, said at the party’s floor meeting that day, "Former Prosecutor General Yoon has declared his presidential candidacy, and the People Power Party always welcomes the will to restore broken common sense and build a normal country, and we are preparing bouquets." He added, "We will open the system so that there are no obstacles to gathering talents from all over the world," and "We will accept all those who desire a new era and serve as a reservoir for creative reproduction."

Kim Jae-won, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, said on the radio, "Most people who support him think he is the strongest candidate for regime change." He also praised Yoon’s actions against the current administration, saying, "Didn’t he accomplish what the largest opposition party with over 100 lawmakers could not do, all by himself as Prosecutor General?" However, he also mentioned that this stance is based on Yoon’s current approval ratings. Kim said, "People support him because he is stronger than Democratic Party candidates like Governor Lee Jae-myung of Gyeonggi Province," adding, "If his support falls below that, it will be a bit difficult, and people will look for alternatives." This comment seems to reflect the recent slight decline in Yoon’s soaring approval ratings following the X-file controversy.

People Power Party Representative Kwon Seong-dong, a friend of former Prosecutor General Yoon, said, "Yoon Seok-yeol fought against the highest power during the Park Geun-hye administration and also during the Moon Jae-in administration," adding, "Despite the X-file controversy, his approval rating only dropped by 2 to 3 percentage points, and that rating is very solid. I believe that once he officially starts his activities, his ratings will rise rather than fall."

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