Hong Jun-pyo to Yoon: "A tarnished candidate will plummet within a month if they reach the general election... BBK and Choi Tae-min appeared during MB and Park's primaries"

On the morning of the 30th, Hong Joon-pyo, a member of the People Power Party, is giving a lecture on the theme "The Road to a Normal Country" at the People Power Party's first-term lawmakers' meeting called 'Myeongbulheojeon Bosuda' held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Hong Joon-pyo, a member of the People Power Party, commented on the party's candidate primary, saying, "During the 2007 primary between Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye (then the Grand National Party presidential candidates), BBK and Choi Tae-min came up," adding, "The candidate who emerges after intense scrutiny of qualifications and morality, as fierce as the 'YS (former President Kim Young-sam) vs. DJ (former President Kim Dae-jung)' and 'Lee Myung-bak vs. Park Geun-hye' primaries, will be the one to lead the next administration."

On the morning of the 30th, right after attending a lecture at the National Assembly hosted by the People Power Party's first-term lawmakers' group 'Myeongbulheojeon Conservative,' Hong told reporters, "If we skip that (scrutiny) and just endorse (a presidential candidate) among ourselves, we won't be able to establish the government," and warned former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, who has been subject to X-file allegations, saying, "The moment a flawed person enters the general election, they will plummet within a month."

Regarding Yoon's possible entry into the People Power Party, he expressed hope, saying, "It's fine if he joins. I hope the primary field expands with his participation."

Addressing concerns about conflicts within the conservative camp due to the party primary, Hong firmly stated, "There is no conflict," emphasizing the importance of candidate scrutiny. He said, "The most intense party primaries in Korean political history were between YS and DJ, and the second most intense was the 2007 primary between Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye," adding, "Search what was said back then. After thorough mutual verification within the party, including qualifications and morality, the candidate becomes president."

He continued, "In 1997, although Lee Hoi-chang became our party's candidate, the issue of his children's military service was not discussed during the primary," adding, "Once he entered the general election, that issue surfaced, and we lost the administration twice over ten years."

Meanwhile, during the 2007 Grand National Party presidential primary, candidates Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye were respectively suspected of being the real owners of BBK and DAS, and of having ties to Choi Tae-min and other unofficial power figures.

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