Ahn Cheol-soo: "Party Leader Should Be Decided on the 12th After Final Debate"

Strategy to Overturn Front-Runner Candidate Kim Ki-hyun at the Last Minute
"Must Elect Leader After Thorough Investigation of All Suspicions"

Ahn Cheol-soo, a member of the People Power Party running as a candidate in the March 8 party convention to elect the next party leadership, appealed to party members on the 4th, when mobile voting began, saying, "Please send me to the runoff," seeking support.

On the morning of the same day, Ahn posted on Facebook under the title "Ahn Cheol-soo's Sincerity," stating, "March 12, not March 8, is the day to decide the party leader," and added, "After watching the final showdown debate between Ahn Cheol-soo and Kim Ki-hyun on the 9th, the party leader should be decided."

The People Power Party is conducting mobile voting on the 4th and 5th, ARS voting on the 6th and 7th, and the results will be announced on the 8th at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, where the party convention is held. If no candidate receives a majority, the top two candidates will have a one-on-one debate on the 9th, followed by mobile voting on the 10th and ARS voting on the 11th, with the party leader finally confirmed on the 12th.

Among candidates Hwang Kyo-ahn, Kim Ki-hyun, Ahn Cheol-soo, and Chun Ha-ram, recent polls show Kim Ki-hyun leading. For Ahn, the intention is to take advantage of Kim’s failure to secure a majority and face him in the runoff to attempt a comeback.

Candidate Ahn Cheol-soo attending the People Power Party leader candidate debate held at Channel A in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 3rd. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding Kim, Ahn said, "He should not be elected party leader until the real estate allegations that emerge daily are thoroughly resolved," pointing out, "If a candidate with potentially serious flaws is elected, the party may switch to a non-standing committee system before the general election or suffer a crushing defeat."

He also stated, "There have been reports that a group chat involving presidential office administrators organized support for Kim and slander against me," adding, "If true, this is shocking. A thorough investigation and prosecution are necessary."

He emphasized, "Even a former president violated Article 7 of the Constitution on 'political neutrality of public officials' and received a two-year final ruling from the Supreme Court, which is a serious matter," and stressed, "The party leader should not be elected until the full truth of this matter is revealed."

Furthermore, Ahn said, "I am confident that I deserve to advance to the final runoff vote as someone who contributed to regime change through unification," adding, "If only Ahn Cheol-soo and Kim Ki-hyun remain, party members can judge who is best suited to win the general election and who can fairly manage candidate nominations as party leader."

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