Yoon Seok-yeol on Choe Jae-hyung Joining People Power Party: "Respect for Situation Assessment and Choice"

Regarding the Speculation of His Party Membership, "Inappropriate to Mention, Repeatedly Stated"
Some Circumstances Also Mentioned When Former President Ban Jun Fell from Power in 2017

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is visiting the Ban Ki-moon Foundation located on Gyeonghuigung-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul, to pay a courtesy call on former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the 15th. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporters Hyunju Lee and Juni Park] Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol commented on former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung, who joined the People Power Party on the 15th, saying, "I respect the judgments and choices of those involved in politics regarding their individual situations."

After visiting former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the Ban Ki-moon Foundation in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Yoon told reporters, "Rather than a strategy, I respect the choices of those involved in politics," referring to Choi's joining the party.

Choi made a sudden decision to join the People Power Party on the same day, 17 days after resigning as Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection on the 28th of last month.

When asked about his own potential entry into the People Power Party, Yoon said, "Regardless of political losses or gains, even if there are losses, I have said that I will consistently follow the direction I have once decided," adding, "It is inappropriate to keep mentioning that (joining a specific party); I have already said this several times."

Regarding the recent drop in approval ratings, he also remarked, "Approval ratings can go down; isn't that normal?"

Yoon also mentioned that Ban briefly touched on the circumstances surrounding his failed 2017 presidential bid. He said, "Aside from saying that the circumstances then were very different due to the sudden Constitutional Court impeachment decision, there was nothing special said."

On this day, Yoon and Ban mainly discussed environmental and security issues. Yoon said, "Ban mentioned that national security can collapse at any moment. While national defense is important, the alliance system between countries is also very important," adding, "He emphasized maintaining the firm security alliance between South Korea and the United States, a long-standing tradition, as the foundation for maintaining safety and peace on the Korean Peninsula." He also conveyed, "Regarding North Korea, we must have consistent principles and predictability. We should always keep sustainable growth in mind and raise our national stature in the international community through support for underdeveloped countries."

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