Yoon Sang-hyun "Ahn and Ryu, Moderates Are Important but Conservative Root Public Sentiment Is Crucial"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Yoon Sang-hyun, a member of the People Power Party and considered one of the next ruling party leadership candidates, took a jab at his leadership rivals Ahn Cheol-soo and former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, saying, "While the centrist public opinion is important, the sentiment of the Yeongnam region and the conservative base is also crucial."

On the morning of the 24th, Yoon appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and, when asked about Ahn's support among centrists in the Seoul metropolitan area, said, "(Ahn) is truly a strategic asset for our party," but added, "While the centrist public opinion is important, the sentiment of Yeongnam, the original conservative root, is also important."

He emphasized, "And the party leader must first have a strong trust with the president and boldly and confidently convey the demands of the party's public opinion to the president. Our party is currently experiencing factional internal strife. The leader needs to play a role in mediating and harmonizing the various factions within the party. If the leader is from the metropolitan area, they should present strategic messages or policies that can lead the metropolitan area general election."

Regarding former lawmaker Yoo, he said, "He is appealing to the centrist public opinion," but also stated, "Isn't the source of strength and support base of our People Power Party the Yeongnam region? You know well what kind of voices are being raised about former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min in Yeongnam." This refers to the 'traitor' stigma placed on Yoo in the party's stronghold of Daegu and Gyeongbuk (TK) region.

In response to the host's question about whether the TK public opinion has changed toward former lawmaker Yoo as President Yoon Suk-yeol's approval rating has dropped recently, he said, "There might be some reflexive gains," but added, "The root of TK public opinion has not changed."

Regarding rumors about Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon being drafted as party leader, he pointed out, "The Minister of Justice is a position symbolizing political neutrality and the rule of law, so this is a very delicate topic," and added, "Talking about such things will not benefit Minister Han at all. It won't benefit the president either."

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