Yoo Seung-min: "If Yoon Really Intends to Change, He Must Step Forward Before the People"

Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min raised his voice, urging President Yoon Suk-yeol to "face the people" after the president ordered party and cabinet reforms, saying "the people are always right."

On the 19th, Yoo said on MBC's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that "If the president truly intends to change, if he is willing to change, he must now come forward before the people."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon, during a meeting with his aides at the Yongsan Presidential Office the previous day, reportedly said, "The people are always right," and "We must not make excuses in the face of any criticism," according to a briefing by Chief Public Relations Officer Kim Eun-hye.

However, Yoo criticized, "Instead of having the Yongsan spokesperson or some public relations officer recite that President Yoon made such good remarks today, why can't he come out before the people himself?" He added, "Whether it’s a press conference or something else, he should come forward. Why is he hiding behind others at such an important time, having the public relations officer speak on his behalf?"

When asked by the host whether he would pursue change by showing political flexibility as he did in the past during the election committee, Yoo said, "There are very few presidents who have not changed before and after becoming president," and added, "Back then, before the presidential election, he must have been truly desperate. But I believe the president should now have that same desperate mindset he had before becoming president."

Yoo said, "After becoming president, people tend to rise above the clouds, seeing themselves as divine and infallible beings, and this tendency is especially strong in him," adding, "So please, he must abandon the belief that he does everything well, that he is the smartest, and that what he says is always right, and instead be humble."

Regarding rumors within political circles about a 'Yoon Suk-yeol new party,' Yoo called it "nonsense," and said, "When President Roh Moo-hyun created the Uri Party, his approval ratings were actually very low, but the party succeeded with 152 seats in the 2004 17th general election due to the impeachment and the backlash against it at the time," adding, "But is there anything like that now? No, there isn’t."

Yoo had previously made remarks suggesting the possibility of a new party by saying he would "observe the party until December and then decide whether to leave." When asked about this, he said, "Nothing is decided. I am keeping all possibilities open," and added, "In our country’s single-member district system, where only the first and second parties dominate, I know how difficult it is to start a new party. If I were to make such a decision, it would be a truly, truly strong and firm resolution."

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