"5·18 Death Row Inmate Kim Jong-bae: 'Disappointed by Yoon's Entry into People Power Party... Can No Longer Support'"

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, who declared his candidacy for the presidential election, is holding a meeting with local reporters at the Seomun Market Merchants' Association office in Jung-gu, Daegu, on the afternoon of the 20th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Former lawmaker Kim Jong-bae has withdrawn his support for former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, who joined the People Power Party.

On the 31st, Kim released a statement saying, "I am sorry that I can no longer support Yoon Seok-yeol as a preliminary candidate."

Kim, who was the chairman of the Citizens and Students Struggle Committee during the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement in 1980 and was sentenced to death, accompanied Yoon during his visit to the May 18 Gwangju Cemetery on the 17th.

Kim cited Yoon's entry into the People Power Party as the reason for withdrawing his support. He said, "Yoon's joining the People Power Party is regrettable and disappointing." He criticized the People Power Party as "a party that has failed to purge the descendants of the massacre regime stained with blood and has two former presidents in prison."

He also criticized the Democratic Party of Korea as a "failed party," pointing out, "They failed in housing policy, and under the left-wing government, it is possible for apartment prices in Gangnam, Seoul, to reach 100 million won per pyeong, and political reform also failed."

He added, "Both the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party are parties that cannot gain the trust of the people."

Kim also expressed that he had expected Yoon to be "the right person to overcome the structural contradictions of Korean society and the extreme ideological confrontation and factionalism that are the maladies of Korean politics."

He explained his previous support for Yoon by saying, "I wanted to do my best to persuade people in the Honam region, where there is a lot of negative public opinion, so that he could gain balanced support nationwide."

Yoon Seok-yeol, a presidential pre-candidate, is greeting after finishing the press conference for joining the party at the People Power Party Central Party Office in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 30th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, on the 30th, Yoon visited the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, and completed the party membership process. This was one month after declaring his presidential candidacy on the 29th of last month.

Regarding his decision to join the party, Yoon said, "For regime change, it is my duty to join the main opposition party and start fairly from the primary election," and added, "I thought the party could gain broader and more universal support from the people."

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