Na Kyung-won: "No Overheating in Party Leadership Race... A 'Harmonious Party Leader' Needed to Support Yoon"

Former lawmaker Na Kyung-won is speaking in front of a building in Sadang-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, which suffered significant damage from heavy rain on the 11th. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Former lawmaker Na Kyung-won, considered one of the next ruling party leadership candidates, recently emphasized the need for a unifying party leader who supports the president, saying, "If the leadership competition overheats, it could lead to internal party conflict."

On the 13th, Na appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said, "We need to embrace internal party conflicts, unite, and maximize party strength to support the president. The future party leader must be such a person."

He hinted at a leadership bid by stating on social media, "I am always number one in public opinion polls among People Power Party supporters." However, he was reserved about whether he had actually decided to run in the party convention.

When the host asked, "You continue to rank first in polls among party supporters. If the supporters' desire is this strong, wouldn't it be difficult for a politician to ultimately ignore it?" Na replied, "Let's wait and see. I will look at the timing of the party convention and other factors."

He added, "The date of the party convention has not been decided yet. So, it is actually not appropriate to talk about it now," and "Once the party convention schedule is announced, we can consider who would be the best person to become party leader in line with that schedule and organize related positions."

Regarding former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, an out-of-parliament leadership candidate, who has recently been sending messages opposing President Yoon Suk-yeol, Na said, "It is natural to offer harsh criticism to the president," but "it is a matter of methodology."

On the recent remarks by party leadership candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, who said, "To lead a victory in the metropolitan area in the general election, someone who understands the center is needed. I understand the center well. Na Kyung-won has concerns about expansion," Na responded, "Receiving such an evaluation dates back to the harshest times when I was floor leader, and at that time, our liberal democracy was somewhat shaken, so we had no choice but to fight that way," adding, "I do not want to comment further."

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