Yoon Seok-yeol: "Hasty Nuclear Phase-Out Must Be Revised... Not Unrelated to Resigning as Prosecutor General"

Regarding this governor controversy
"Historical perspective is a vision for preparing the future
Must have a practical worldview"

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, a leading presidential candidate, is entering the Engineering Building on the afternoon of the 5th to meet Professor Joo Han-kyu of Seoul National University's Department of Nuclear Engineering, who has been leading criticism of the Moon Jae-in administration's nuclear phase-out policy. 2021.7.5 Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol emphasized on the 5th, after meeting with Professor Joo Han-kyu of the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Seoul National University, that "the hasty direction of nuclear phase-out must be corrected."

After the meeting with Professor Joo, Yoon told reporters, "We should not only remember the Chernobyl incident, but also recognize that low-cost energy production enhances the competitiveness of our industry and is related to jobs."

Yoon chose 'nuclear phase-out' as the first topic in his livelihood-focused activities. He said, "I personally think that my resignation from the Prosecutor General position is directly related to the handling of the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant," adding, "I also believe it is not unrelated to the government's nuclear phase-out policy."

He continued, "I was also a public official and it was a government policy, so I had no strong thoughts about nuclear phase-out, but while leading the investigation, I realized it was not a simple issue and that it was pushed too aggressively," adding, "To say more would involve detailed matters related to my official duties, so I will stop here." Yoon was once suspended from duty while directly leading the investigation into allegations of economic evaluation manipulation of Wolseong Unit 1 nuclear power plant.

Regarding Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung's criticism of his remarks as an 'outdated color politics,' Yoon responded, "My concern is only about the people's livelihood, but historical perspectives, from a politician's point of view, are the lens to diagnose current society and also a prospect to prepare for the future," adding, "I am worried whether Korean society, which denies the historical perspective of liberal democracy, can overcome current problems and the era of future technological revolution." He also said, "I do not want to discuss personal historical views, but I think those who hope to lead important national policies as the highest public officials should operate with realistic and practical historical and worldviews."

Regarding the trial of his father-in-law, he said, "The law must be applied equally to everyone," and "Once the verdict is finalized, I will make a statement accordingly."

The full-scale livelihood activities of former Prosecutor General Yoon will be conducted under the name 'Yoon Seok-yeol Listens.' He plans to visit the National Daejeon National Cemetery and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) on the 6th.

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