Lee Jun-seok: "Yoon Firmly Opposes Poll-Based Unification"

Revealed on MBC Radio on the 16th
"Prime Minister or Minister Positions Do Not Significantly Help Ahn Cheol-soo's Political Standing"

People Power Party's presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol is appealing for support while riding an open-top vehicle with party leader Lee Jun-seok on the afternoon of the 15th at Jeolm-eum Street in Seomyeon, Busan. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Boryeong] Amid the People Power Party's opposition to the 'national primary' proposed by Ahn Cheol-soo, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, as a condition for unification, Lee Jun-seok, the party leader of the People Power Party, emphasized Yoon Seok-youl's firm stance.

On the morning of the 16th, Lee appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and responded to the question, "Is Yoon's position firm in saying no to unification through public opinion polls?" by saying, "Yoon has a very firm stance on that."

Lee was then asked, "Is the People Power Party planning a roadmap to establish a political base for Ahn to run in the 2027 presidential election?" He replied, "Ahn is ultimately in a position to continue in politics, and the reason for seeking unification or such is not about winning or losing. It is seen as a process of finding political justification, and in that process, rather than competitive unification, there might be a courtesy that can present a better justification. You can interpret it as a message of that level."

He added, "We cannot propose positions like prime minister or minister first, and even if there is consideration, it does not really help Ahn's political status. The status of a political leader is usually important in leading their own faction in an election and winning together with like-minded people. Therefore, I think Ahn probably has his own scenario regarding ways to secure such a faction," he said.

When the host asked, "Does this mean that a scenario where the People Power Party and the People’s Party merge and Ahn takes the party leadership of the unified party is also being considered?" Lee replied, "If such a proposal comes before the election, I don't know how the public or party members would react, but if there is such an intention, Ahn's side should tell us. There is no separate procedure in the party constitution and rules, and in that case, a unified party convention might be possible, but I think it is unrealistic," he said.

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