Ahn Cheol-soo: "Next Party Convention Possible in Mid-December... No Need to Be Concerned About Lee Jun-seok's Candidacy"

"Yunhaekgwan" Second-Line Retreat Proposal Sparks Debate Over Appropriateness of the Term "Yunhaekgwan"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Myunghwan] Ahn Cheol-soo, a member of the People Power Party, stated on the 23rd regarding the timing of the next party convention, "I think mid-December might be possible." On the possibility of former leader Lee Jun-seok running in the convention, he said, "I don't think we need to be too concerned about that."

In an interview with MBC Radio's 'Pyo Chang-won's News High Kick' on the afternoon of the same day, Ahn said, "Some media outlets reported that I was advocating for the convention to be held early next year, but the actual content is somewhat different."

Ahn said, "The convention could start after the audit session, or after the budget review, possibly beginning in early December. Both are possible, but since next year's budget has been further cut, it is very necessary to properly explain that to the opposition party." He added, "If that happens, more focus than usual will be required, so if the budget review ends and the convention starts immediately, I think mid-December might be possible."

Regarding the claim by fellow party member Kim Ki-hyun that "the timing of the party convention has nothing to do with the regular National Assembly session," Ahn said, "People's energy is limited, and when you really focus on one thing, you lack the capacity to properly pay attention to other matters." He added, "Since this is the first regular National Assembly session, doing our best here is the way to be properly recognized by the people."

On the possibility of former leader Lee running, Ahn said, "I don't think we need to be too conscious of that." He stated, "Whoever runs, it is the party members and the public who judge among the candidates. That is the right thing to do according to the spirit of democracy, and it is not desirable for some leadership members to artificially block a specific individual from running in advance."

Regarding his own candidacy for party leader, he said, "We haven't even started serious discussions on when to begin the convention, so it would be inappropriate to reveal anything first." He added, "Once the schedule is announced, it is proper and the right order to state one's position on what they will do." He further said, "Our party needs to become a party that receives more love from the public and broadens its support base. To do that, we must preserve the truly important values of conservatism while simultaneously expanding our support base toward the center."

On calls within the party for the 'Yunhaekgwan' (key associates of President Yoon Seok-youl) to step back from frontline roles, he responded, "In social life, everyone inevitably has close associates. While those close to a person might all be called 'haekgwan,' is it appropriate to label them specifically as 'Yunhaekgwan'?" He questioned. "If someone abuses power and gains personal benefits solely because they are close to power, then naturally they should be criticized. But if not, criticizing them just for that reason is not desirable."

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