Yoon Seok-yeol and Lee Jun-seok Reconcile, Declare 'One Team'... Withdrawal of 'Lee Resignation Resolution' (Comprehensive)

Lee "Apologizes for Neglecting Party Leader Responsibility"
Yoon "Will Work Hard with Utmost Effort"

Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate (right), and Lee Jun-seok, the party leader, are embracing at a party meeting held at the National Assembly on the 6th. 2022.1.6 Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Hyunju Lee and Juni Park] Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, and Lee Jun-seok, the party leader, made a sudden reconciliation on the 6th. The two figures, who had been in conflict over the appointment of the election committee and the issue of 'Yunhaekgwan (Yoon candidate's key associates),' declared a 'one team,' bringing an end to the internal strife. The resolution urging Lee's resignation, which was raised at the morning party members' meeting, was withdrawn.

The process was far from smooth. At the party meeting that began at 10 a.m., a resolution urging Lee to resign was put on the agenda. This sparked a heated debate among the members. Although Lee was expected to attend the meeting at 2 p.m., he withheld his attendance as the party leader was not allowed to make a public statement. Around 5:20 p.m., Lee attended the meeting on the condition that he could make a public statement. The atmosphere was tense.

In his opening remarks, candidate Yoon apologized for recent unnecessary remarks and actions. He said, "I thought that by stepping down as the standing election committee chairman and only discussing the reorganization of the election committee from outside, a new direction would naturally be set without me, and the party leader could perform his duties while supporting the candidate." He added, "But if my expectation was wrong, I apologize to the members here today for neglecting my responsibility." Regarding the misunderstanding about the term 'practice problem,' he said, "I apologize if it caused offense." Lee explained, "If it did not sound as I intended, it was my fault for not expressing myself accurately." Lee persuaded the members by raising awareness of the current situation where Yoon's approval ratings have sharply declined. He pointed out, "The reason we are struggling with approval ratings among the younger generation is that we are presenting justifications that do not resonate with them," and added, "When we keep approaching them with phrases like 'So, are you going to vote for Lee Jae-myung?' or 'Are you not going to bring about a regime change?' we cannot overcome the decline in support among young people." After his remarks, the discussion between the members and Lee continued.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Around 8 p.m., candidate Yoon arrived at the National Assembly and met with Lee and the members to mediate. About 20 minutes later, the two embraced each other, concluding the party meeting. After the meeting, Yoon told reporters, "We are party members who share the same blood. We have decided to dedicate ourselves to the People Power Party together," and said, "We will carry out the orders we share with the same mindset and work diligently with utmost effort." Lee responded, "Until now, our concerns were about winning the election from our respective positions," and added, "Now, it seems that a common ground has been found in our concerns. Based on that, I apologize for disappointing by breaking trust with the candidate and will show efforts to win the election."

Meanwhile, on the same day, candidate Yoon had planned to visit the funeral hall of three firefighters who died in a fire at a frozen warehouse construction site in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, privately. However, Lee, who has a taxi driver's license, offered to drive himself, and they went together.

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