Yoo Sang-beom: "Party support for Yoo Seung-min smaller than for Lee Jun-seok... Preventing reverse voting depends on the Election Commission's choice"

Yoo Sang-beom, a member of the People Power Party, is attending the People Power Party's floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 20th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Yoo Sang-beom, a member of the People Power Party classified as 'Pro-Yoon,' expressed skepticism, saying that the party sentiment supporting former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, who is considered one of the non-incumbent candidates for party leadership, is smaller than the party sentiment that supported former leader Lee Jun-seok in past party conventions. Regarding the anti-reverse selection clause, he emphasized that it is already stipulated in the party constitution and depends on the 'Central Election Commission's choice.' He also predicted that Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon's decision to run in the general election depends on President Yoon Seok-yeol's approval rating.

On the 18th, Yoo said on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' program, "I am very skeptical whether the party sentiment that supported former leader Lee when he ran will go to former lawmaker Yoo to the same extent."

He explained, "The possibility of winning is ultimately 70% party members and 30% public opinion," adding, "The high public support when former leader Lee was elected last year was because he stood at the forefront of anti-feminism and received support from men in their 20s and 30s, and in fact, many lawmakers within the party also supported him."

He continued, "There was actually some support for former leader Lee among the party's incumbent lawmakers," adding, "but in the case of former lawmaker Yoo now, it is completely different from former leader Lee. There is no explosive online or offline support at all."

As former lawmaker Yoo rapidly rises as a candidate for party leadership, voices within the party call for reducing the proportion of general public opinion polls or introducing an anti-reverse selection clause. Regarding this, Yoo said, "Rules are rules. When we set the 7:3 rule, it was decided after much discussion," adding, "However, the anti-reverse selection clause is stipulated in Article 99, Paragraph 1 of the party constitution, stating that 'supporters of the People Power Party and other supporters can be separated in opinion polls,' so it is a matter for the Central Election Commission to decide."

Regarding former lawmaker Yoo's claim in a media interview that 'Yoon core supporters ruined the party,' Yoo responded, "The party was ruined because internal conflicts within the party became very intense, and as a result, we actually played a role in significantly damaging the president's approval rating," adding, "Among them, could it have been only the Yoon core supporters? Former leader Lee was also involved, and can former lawmaker Yoo say that he did not influence the party's internal conflicts during that process?"

Regarding Minister Han's rumored candidacy in the 2024 general election, he said, "Ultimately, it can be decided depending on the president's approval rating," adding, "If the current president maintains a stable approval rating above 40% and the presidential office and various government departments settle in their operations, then Minister Han is highly likely to run in the general election."

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