Yoon Sang-hyun "Must Play a Role for Yoon Administration's Success... Deeply Considering Running for Party Leader"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Yoon Sang-hyun, a member of the People Power Party and considered one of the next party leadership candidates, revealed that he is deeply contemplating running in the party convention.

On the 21st, Yoon appeared on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show' and said, "For the success of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration and the victory in the general election, we cannot just pretend not to know; we have to play some role. In that sense, I am deeply considering it."

He expressed concern, saying, "The total number of seats in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon is 121, but our party only holds 17 seats there. Winning here is not an easy situation for the People Power Party. On the other hand, the Democratic Party leadership, both the party leadership and the floor leadership, are all young metropolitan area lawmakers under 60 years old."

He continued, "Who can fight against this and lead the victory in the general election the year after next? Isn't it Yoon Sang-hyun?" and added, "Many around me say 'You should run in the party convention.' After all, I am a metropolitan area lawmaker."

He also emphasized his strength of having been elected twice as an independent in his constituency, Incheon. He said, "I am a four-term lawmaker, but in 2020, I was dropped from the nomination because I was considered part of the Park Geun-hye faction, and I was also dropped from the nomination in 2016. There is no one who has continuously survived as an independent; am I not the top expert in elections?"

Regarding being evaluated as a 'new Yoon core faction (Shin Yunhaekgwan),' he explained, "It is a term reflecting a critical meaning about our People Power Party's governance, but it does not necessarily mean that the new core faction is Yoon Sang-hyun. It means disappointment with the first generation of Yoon core faction members, so new core faction members have appeared who can boldly convey the demands of the party and public sentiment to the president, and also have trust with the president. These people should step forward as the new core faction."

With the 'judicial risk' of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, becoming serious, he also raised the possibility of opposition party division. He said, "It will be difficult for the Democratic Party to unite as a single front," adding, "Within the Democratic Party, there are voices questioning why the entire party should take responsibility for the leader's personal judicial risk. Representative of this is lawmaker Seol Hoon and others."

Regarding the discussion led by the ruling party about 'redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons,' he viewed it negatively, saying, "The U.S. government is very passive about placing U.S. tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula. It would mean the U.S. breaking the denuclearization declaration with North Korea, and how much would China and Russia oppose it?"

He then asserted, "Without touching the denuclearization declaration of the Korean Peninsula and without allowing the internal left-wing forces' agitation and backlash, an option is to permanently station U.S. nuclear power assets, such as nuclear missile-equipped submarines, in international waters beyond 12 nautical miles off the Korean Peninsula's territorial waters."

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