Jo Su-jin "Noh Likely to Announce Candidacy... Hope He Stops Even Now"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Jo Su-jin, a member of the People Power Party, advised former lawmaker Na Kyung-won to "stop even now," saying that Na's statement on the 25th is highly likely to be a "candidacy press conference."

On the 25th, Jo said on CBS's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "Politics is a living thing, so we have to watch closely, but considering various factors such as the location (party headquarters) and the fact that a text was sent announcing a statement, it seems quite tilted toward candidacy."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Former lawmaker Na will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. that day at the party headquarters to announce her position. Jo analyzed that choosing the party headquarters as the venue was to emphasize the symbolism of having protected the party so far. She speculated, "If it were a non-candidacy, it could have been done just in writing or by text. Since she was a former floor leader and this is a place to explain things like 'I have protected the party until now,' she might have chosen the party headquarters."

Earlier, Na claimed on her social media that "the dismissal was not President Yoon Seok-youl's intention," which sparked backlash from the presidential office and first-term ruling party lawmakers. She apologized on the 20th, but the presidential office responded by calling it a "poisoned apology." Jo said, "Candidacy is open to everyone, but the process is unfortunate. Issues like low birthrate and climate environment are very significant national tasks, so when taking on these, one must 'bet everything' on them."

Jo indirectly criticized Na for abandoning two important national positions to push forward with her candidacy. Jo expressed regret, saying, "She should have sprinted and taken responsible actions for these national duties, but holding these posts while appearing to lean toward a party leadership challenge looked very unfavorable."

There is an analysis that Na is pushing forward with her candidacy despite opposition from the presidential office because her political future would be uncertain if she does not run. However, Jo said, "If she stops here, she might just quietly fade away without gaining anything, which seems to be her judgment, but I also find that unfortunate," adding, "When there is no visible path, one must stop."

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