Cornered Na Kyung-won... Will the Decision to End Her Hiatus Come?

Na side Park Jong-hee "Submersion or Contemplation Mode"
Ha Tae-kyung "Strategic Miss... Will Be Mental Breakdown"
Jo Eung-cheon "Is There DNA to Overcome?" Question
Kim Ki-hyun Shares 'Runoff Victory' Poll

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Former lawmaker Na Kyung-won, who once led the party's approval ratings and was on a smooth path, is now facing a total crisis. The Blue House directly refuted his remark that "dismissal was not the president's intention," and from the party's newcomers to senior and veteran members, harsh criticism has cornered him. However, considering his political weight, it is not easy for him to step back. Attention is focused on the decision he will make as he cancels scheduled events and remains in hiding.

Park Jong-hee, a former lawmaker assisting Na, said on KBS's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs' on the 19th, "(Na) was very embarrassed when the strong stance of the presidential chief of staff came out the day before yesterday," adding, "He is now in a state of silence or contemplation to organize various thoughts, such as concerns that answering reporters' questions at public events might lead to other problems."

He continued, "From the position of someone who truly threw himself into ensuring President Yoon Seok-yeol's election during the campaign, there would be both private and public relationships, and although Na did not intend it this way, the reports were distorted," adding, "There are also signs that the president was furious, so it is a confusing state where public and private matters are mixed." Na has canceled all scheduled events since the 18th and is currently in hiding.

Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place... Can He Break Through?

The situation Na faces is truly 'damned if you do, damned if you don't.' From the Blue House to the party's newcomers, mid-level, and veteran members, harsh criticism is being directed at him. In particular, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo has been criticizing him daily, even mentioning family and 'building speculation allegations.' In this situation, if he decides to run, he fears being labeled 'anti-Yoon,' but if he does not run, he has too much to lose. Cho Eung-cheon, a Democratic Party lawmaker, said on CBS's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "I doubt he has the DNA to overcome the Blue House's antagonism," but added, "If he gives up here, considering the current political landscape of the ruling party, it will be almost impossible to expect Na's future political life."

Ha Tae-kyung, a People Power Party lawmaker, also said on SBS's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show,' "If he doesn't run, his political life will become very difficult. He will be marked as someone who cannot work with the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, and in fact, it will be hard to do politics under this government," adding, "He must be going through a very tough time personally, probably in a state of mental breakdown."

It is diagnosed that the original mistake was trying to get approval for his candidacy from the president. Ha said, "What Na misjudged strategically was that he wanted to first get a signal that the president would not oppose his run for party leader," adding, "And he did not realize that he had been marked by the president."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

D-2 Until Yoon Seok-yeol's Return... Will He Decide?

Na's side plans to announce his candidacy after President Yoon returns from his overseas trip on the 21st. This is just before the Lunar New Year holiday begins, and since the impact of a candidacy announcement would be limited once the holiday starts, expressing his position before the holiday is the best timing. However, given his difficult situation, it is uncertain whether he can organize his stance in such a short time.

The Blue House has effectively put the brakes on his candidacy, and Kim Ki-hyun, considered a 'Yoon's heart (Yoonshim)' candidate, has surged ahead, taking the party's approval rating number one spot in recent polls. Kim shared on social media that he won the runoff election against both Ahn Cheol-soo and Na Kyung-won by a margin outside the margin of error, solidifying his first-place position.

Forcing a run in this situation inevitably means being classified as 'anti-Yoon,' which is also a burden. Having emphasized his personal friendship with President Yoon so far, it is realistically difficult for him to suddenly turn into an 'anti-Yoon fighter,' and most of his supporters, who lean conservative, may further drift away.

There remains the possibility of a 'position shift' after running to strengthen the coalition in the metropolitan area. Park said on KBS's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs,' in response to a question about the possibility of an alliance with Ahn Cheol-soo, "They are all metropolitan area lawmakers and people who know politics well. Currently, power is concentrated in the PK (Busan-Gyeongnam) and TK (Daegu-Gyeongbuk) regions with many lawmakers, so the possibility of such an alliance is open."

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