Lee Jun-seok: "If Ahn Cheol-soo runs in local elections, he should consult the party, not Yoon... Ruling party's multi-party reform plan seems rushed"

Lee Jun-seok "Ahn Cheol-soo Must Consult Party if Running in Local Elections"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, stated on the 5th that if Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People Party, runs as a candidate for the People Power Party in the local elections, he should consult with the party rather than candidate Yoon Seok-yeol. Regarding the political reform plan being promoted by the Democratic Party, he said, "It is right to discuss it with principles after the presidential election," and evaluated, "The Democratic Party seems desperate."

On the same day, Lee appeared on Yonhap News TV and said, "Candidate Ahn mentioned that he hopes for administrative experience. While it could mean joining the cabinet during the formation of the government, it could also mean local administration," adding, "In the latter case, it is a matter that should be discussed with the party."

He said, "The transition committee, cabinet formation, and joint government are naturally within candidate Yoon's domain," but added, "It is appropriate for the party to take the lead in matters related to merger or political changes. The responsible party for response may vary depending on what kind of actions leader Ahn hopes to take." He continued, "We will show courtesy in those matters depending on leader Ahn's choice."

Regarding the effect of opposition unification, he analyzed, "There may not be a significant change in polling numbers," but added, "There is considerable effect in creating a situation where the ruling party's slanderous issues thrown at the end of the election do not work at all." On the delay in Ahn's campaign support, he said, "It is natural," and mentioned, "It is expected that some time was needed to gather his thoughts."

About the presidential election trend, Lee said, "Before the blackout, surveys based on ARS showed candidate Yoon leading candidate Lee by 6 to 8 percentage points, and I expect the gap to widen even more."

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