Ahn Cheol-soo: "I Have No Intention to Run for Party Leader... Resolving Legislative Conflict Is the Top Priority"

"Prolonged Legislative Conflict... May Lead to More Horrific Sacrifices"

Han Dong-hoon, former Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, resigned taking responsibility for the party's crushing defeat in the general election, creating a vacancy in the party leadership. Ahn Cheol-soo, elected representative of the People Power Party from Gyeonggi Seongnam Bundang-gap, stated, "I have no intention of running in the current party leadership election."

On the 12th, on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' Ahn said, "Before the elected members' general meeting, it is not good to have murmurs here and there expressing personal opinions as it disrupts the formation, so I am cautious about speaking," but he insisted, "There should be no more emergency committees." He added, "We need to hold a general meeting of elected members to gather the party's consensus and make a decision."

Ahn Cheol-soo, elected member of the People Power Party for Seongnam Bundang Gap, Gyeonggi Province.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

He then identified resolving the medical-policy conflict as the People Power Party's top priority. Ahn said, "Doctors should return to their patients, and the government should not insist on punishment and numbers," adding, "The solution is for everyone to accept the conclusions reached by the medical-policy consultative body."

He pointed out, "Our medical sector faces three problems: shortage of essential medical personnel, shortage of personnel in treatment and vaccine development fields, and the devastation of local medical services," emphasizing, "Instead of presenting numbers, the government should first propose how to fix these issues." He also said, "I am not on the side of doctors or the government but on the side of the people," expressing concern that "the lives of the people are most important, and if the medical-policy conflict continues for a long time, there could be many terrible sacrifices."

As a secondary priority, he cited securing future growth engines and reforming education and pensions. Ahn said, "South Korea's future growth engines are hitting bottom," noting, "The era of living off memory semiconductors is passing." He added, "If we do not carry out education reform and pension reform, ultimately our children will bear all the responsibility and suffer," asking, "Can we let them live in a world worse than that of their parents?"

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