Yoon Approaches Entry into People Power Party... Choi Officially Registers as Presidential Pre-Candidate

Former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung, affiliated with the People Power Party, is registering as a presidential primary candidate on the 26th at the Central Election Commission in Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporters Kum Boryeong and Park Juni] Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's entry into the People Power Party has entered the final countdown. Former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung officially registered as a presidential primary candidate. Tension is rising between the two candidates who will eventually compete within the People Power Party.

On the 26th, Park Min-sik, Planning Director of Yoon Seok-yeol's campaign, told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "The entry into the party is already in the final countdown." Regarding criticism that it is problematic to have many People Power Party affiliates in the campaign despite Yoon still being an outsider, he dismissed it by saying, "Since former Prosecutor General Yoon will soon join the party, the criticism itself is pointless." From Yoon's perspective, who has been pressured by the People Power Party to decide on early entry, this means he has bought time to handle personal schedules. Yoon continued his schedule to listen to local public opinion on the same day. He also started fundraising through his homepage.

Former Chairman Choi is steadily moving toward the presidency. On the morning of the same day, he visited the Central Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, and completed his registration as a presidential primary candidate. At a meeting with reporters, Choi said, "I will devote my strength to creating a country where politics no longer makes people suffer and tired but makes them comfortable." Once officially registered as a primary candidate, he can set up an election office and appoint up to 10 paid election staff. Additionally, through a support committee, he can raise up to 2.56545 billion won, which is 5% of the election expense limit (51.309 billion won). Since several presidential candidates have already formed support committees and started fundraising, Choi's side is also expected to form a support committee soon. The election office located in the Daehwa Building in Yeouido, Seoul, aims to officially open within this week. The official campaign announcement is planned for early next month.

He is also occasionally throwing 'checks' at his competitors. He targeted Lee Jae-myung, the ruling party's leading presidential candidate and Governor of Gyeonggi Province, for three consecutive days with expressions such as "It would be better to call it a nationwide dining-out allowance" regarding Lee's basic income proposal. Choi's side also criticized Yoon, who recruited former lawmakers and current and former party officials, as "cowardly." Meanwhile, according to a survey conducted by the Korea Society Opinion Institute (KSOI) commissioned by TBS from the 23rd to 24th among 1,006 adults nationwide aged 18 and over, Yoon's suitability as the next presidential candidate dropped by 3.4 percentage points from the previous week to 26.9%. On the other hand, Choi gained 8.1%, up 2.5 percentage points from 5.6% the previous week.

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, and Yoon Seok-yeol, former Prosecutor General, are walking hand in hand after finishing a 'chimaek meeting' on the afternoon of the 25th at Konkuk University Food Street in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. (Photo by Yonhap News)

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