Ahn Cheol-soo's Side: "Received Merger Proposal from Lee Jun-seok in Early February on Condition of Candidate Withdrawal"

Lee proposes event riding the passion train with Yoon and Ahn
Suggests participation in nomination review rights... mentions Jongno by-election and others

Emergency press conference by Lee Tae-gyu, Chief of the General Election Headquarters [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Lee Tae-gyu, the General Headquarters Chief of the People’s Party Election Countermeasures Committee, revealed that he received a merger proposal from Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, earlier this month, which centered on the withdrawal of Ahn Cheol-soo, the People’s Party presidential candidate.

At a press conference held on the 23rd at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building, Lee said, “In early February, I met with the leader privately and was proposed a merger,” adding, “The intention was that if Candidate Ahn cleanly withdrew and the merger was based on that, a special provision reflecting the People’s Party’s intentions would be created to guarantee participation in the Supreme Council’s nomination review committee.”

He continued, “(The leader) prepared a big event where on February 11, Candidate Yoon Seok-youl of the People Power Party and Candidate Ahn would get off together at Yeosu Station, the final stop of the People Power Party’s Passion Train, and announce unification,” and said, “He proposed that it would be a firm turning point to solidify the political foundation.”

Furthermore, he disclosed, “(The leader) said that he could also nominate a candidate for the Jongno by-election, and even if not, after the local elections, the Democratic Party’s regional elections might be vulnerable due to the Busan mayoral candidacy issue, which could be helpful for Candidate Ahn’s politics.”

Regarding this, Lee Tae-gyu said, “I interpreted the leader’s proposal as aiming for a merger rather than a joint government under the goal of unification, and as a proposal to unify with him as the party leader,” adding, “Also, (the leader) said that in his view, Candidate Yoon is someone who strongly wants to control personnel appointments, and although he did not specify names, there are many senior members aiming for the prime minister position, so a joint government as envisioned by the People’s Party would not be easy.”

He added, “(The leader) also gave personal advice to be cautious of Candidate Yoon’s close aides.”

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