Hong Jun-pyo "May Form Joint Government with Ahn Cheol-soo"... Emphasizing 'Value Alliance'

Hong Joon-pyo, a presidential primary candidate of the People Power Party, is announcing his pledge for a major shift in diplomacy at his election campaign office located in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 27th of last month. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] Hong Joon-pyo, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party, emphasized a 'value alliance' with Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, and even mentioned a 'joint government.'

On the 1st, Hong appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said, "I respect Leader Ahn," adding, "Just like the past DJP (Kim Dae-jung·Kim Jong-pil) coalition, forces could unite to create a joint government." Leader Ahn is scheduled to declare his presidential candidacy at the National Assembly at 10 a.m. that day.

Hong stated, "He (Leader Ahn) is the person who best symbolizes South Korea's centrist values," emphasizing, "To gather centrist-oriented people, Leader Ahn is indispensable."

He continued, "We both agreed on the recognition that we must form a joint front with Leader Ahn to establish a government," explaining, "When we met in early September, we hoped that no matter what happens, this time we would not run separately in the presidential election, and Leader Ahn agreed to that." According to Hong, they met several times until August.

However, Hong drew a line regarding a merger between the People Power Party and the People’s Party. He said, "I think a merger is nonsense," adding, "We should not merge but form a value alliance." He also stated, "We have no intention whatsoever to absorb or integrate Leader Ahn."

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