Yoo Seung-min, Yoon Seok-yeol, Choi Jae-hyung, Hong Joon-pyo, 'Do or Die' Issue Over Reverse Selection Prevention Clause

Yoo Seung-min Criticizes Meeting with Yoon Seok-yeol and Jeong Hong-won
Yoon Seok-yeol: "No Need to Argue"
Choi Jae-hyung's Side: "Hong Joon-pyo Changed His Words Since 2018"

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The presidential candidates of the People Power Party are fiercely clashing over the 'reverse vote prevention clause.' Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min argues that a candidate with broad appeal is needed in the ultra-close presidential race with a 1% margin, while former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung's camp insists on the necessity to prevent 'manipulation.'

Former lawmaker and People Power Party presidential candidate Yoo Seung-min is holding a meeting with young and middle-aged people on the 29th at Yeongju 148 Art Square, Daehak-ro, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 29th, former lawmaker Yoo took an unusually strong stance against former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl's camp through social media (SNS), saying, "Reverse vote prevention? Is there even a will for regime change?" Yoo stated, "It is said that Yoon met with Election Commission Chairman Jeong Hong-won in early August," and introduced, "There is widespread talk that the Chairman strongly intends to include a 'reverse vote prevention clause' in the presidential candidate primary opinion polls."

The notable point is that Yoo unusually mentioned Yoon and Chairman Jeong while launching an offensive. The reverse vote prevention clause limits opinion polls to the People Power Party and non-affiliated voters. This clause was designed to prevent members of the opposing party from supporting weaker candidates with the intent to negatively influence elections by reflecting the entire general public in opinion polls.

Yoon Seok-yeol, former Prosecutor General and presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is answering reporters' questions after announcing real estate policy pledges at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 29th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Yoo argued, "Mentioning 'reverse vote prevention' in presidential opinion polls is an act of giving up on regime change," and said, "Before the Election Commission makes an unfair decision favoring candidate Yoon Seok-youl, I will explain why reverse vote prevention is not feasible." First, Yoo predicted, "Next year's presidential election is expected to be an ultra-close contest with a 1% difference," and "Who can sway not only the moderate voters but also the opposing camp will decide the outcome." He particularly pointed to Republican voters who disliked former U.S. President Donald Trump and supported President Joe Biden, saying, "Does it make sense to exclude voters who could support us under the strange name of reverse vote prevention and still claim to achieve regime change?"

He also introduced that the reverse vote prevention clause has already been approved by the primary preparation committee and the Supreme Council, and that it has never been introduced in previous presidential candidate primaries.

Former Prosecutor General Yoon, who was targeted by Yoo's controversy, stated, "I believe the primary rules will be decided reasonably and fairly," and "There is no need to argue over other candidates' remarks." He avoided an immediate response to Yoo's offensive.

Former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party, is speaking at the Open Mind Policy Research Colloquium held at a cafe in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 29th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the other hand, this issue provoked a strong reaction from former Chairman Choi's camp.

A public relations special advisor for former Chairman Choi said, "Reverse vote prevention does not exclude non-affiliated voters, moderates, or supporters of other opposition parties like the Justice Party and the People Party," and pointed out, "It is to prevent attempts by the Democratic Party's enthusiastic supporters, who have strong mobilization power, from targeting and interfering in the People Power Party primary to manipulate the results." Regarding Democratic-leaning poll respondents supporting Yoo, they criticized, "Do you really think they support him because they like him? If you believe that, it is a serious political dyslexia lacking even minimal common sense."

People Power Party presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo is holding a solo protest on the 29th in front of the Blue House Fountain in Jongno-gu, Seoul, condemning the Democratic Party's forceful passage of the 'Media Arbitration Act Amendment.' [Image source=Yonhap News]

They also directly criticized another presidential candidate, People Power Party lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo. Citing Hong's past remarks questioning the reverse vote prevention clause, they criticized, "When Democratic Party supporters chose him and his approval rating rose in this primary, he suddenly claims that reverse vote prevention is not a problem at all."

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