The Path to Unification Has Opened... But a Thin Ice Surface Is Expected After the Presidential Election

Unified Boldly but
No Detailed Specifics
Policy Disagreements Expected After Election

Questions Over Negotiations During Transition Team
Regarding Ahn Cheol-soo's Position

Ahead of June Local Elections,
Likely to Appear United with Ahn

Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, and Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, are embracing after concluding a unification press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office on the morning of the 3rd. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The bold unification between Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, and Ahn Cheol-soo, the leader of the People’s Party, was a decisive agreement that skipped detailed negotiations. Although it was said to be based on mutual trust, in reality, nothing concrete was decided in detail, raising concerns in political circles on the 4th, just a day after the unification announcement, that disagreements over post-election policies and power struggles might arise.

Although Candidate Yoon and Leader Ahn announced a plan for a ‘joint government’ the day before, a closer look reveals no concrete details. Until two days before the unification announcement, Candidate Ahn had expressed his intention to run independently, so there was physically no sufficient time for thorough communication between the two. Moreover, the two candidates had shown differences in their policies even when they announced them. Therefore, questions remain about whether coordination on post-election policies and personnel matters will proceed smoothly.

In fact, Candidate Yoon pledged to raise soldiers’ monthly pay to 2 million won, but Candidate Ahn criticized this as populism, asking, "Do you know how much non-commissioned officers earn?" Regarding the policy to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Candidate Ahn showed a more cautious approach by including it in a government reorganization plan to adjust the pace. On the issue of labor directors in the public sector, Candidate Ahn opposed it while Candidate Yoon supported it. Although Yoon and Ahn had differences in the speed of pension reform, their views converged at the final pledge stage. However, significant disagreements remain on issues such as civil servant pension reform, occupational pension reform, and the methods of pension reform.

Regarding specific matters, both parties have only agreed to resolve them through the presidential transition committee. Previously, former President Kim Dae-jung, who succeeded in taking power through the ‘DJP Alliance,’ allocated the prime ministership and six ministerial posts to former United Liberal Democrats leader Kim Jong-pil, but they parted ways amid discord over various policies. To avoid repeating the failure of such a power-sharing joint government, Candidate Yoon and Leader Ahn announced they would form a joint transition committee to select national tasks together from the start. A senior member of the People Power Party said, "We see the main direction as the same, and we should accept reformist and practical pledges from Candidate Ahn," adding, "For those that overlap or could cause controversy, we will put them on hold and revisit them later."

Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, and Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People Party (right), are reviewing the final agreement before the unification press conference at the National Assembly Communication Hall on the morning of the 3rd. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

There is also a possibility of debate over the ‘position’ that Leader Ahn will take in the future. Earlier, Candidate Ahn mentioned his lack of administrative experience, which led to speculation in political circles about whether he might be appointed prime minister. Nothing has been decided yet. On the same day, Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, said on the radio, "There has been no discussion about positions at all, and such matters will be considered later when the joint government is formed and appropriate personnel are recommended." A People’s Party official also said, "We have not agreed on specific positions," adding, "We will align values and philosophies first and gradually discuss the details going forward."

However, within the People Power Party, considering the June local elections, there is a sentiment that it would be difficult to treat Leader Ahn coldly immediately after the presidential election. A People Power Party official said, "If Candidate Ahn is excluded right after the presidential election, it could create an image that the party broke the unification, which could damage the local elections," adding, "If we suffer a crushing defeat in the local elections, the general election will also be difficult. With a minority government, national administration could become challenging, so it seems the party will continue to move forward together with Candidate Ahn."

Candidate Ahn, who withdrew from the race the day before, did not appear at the campaign site with Candidate Yoon on this day. He only scheduled an appearance on his YouTube channel without other engagements. Kwon Young-se, head of the People Power Party’s election campaign headquarters, told reporters after a meeting, "We plan to meet and discuss today," adding, "We hope to have him participate in the campaign together as soon as possible."

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