Yoon Camp Reveals Outline... From Former Chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination Lee Seok-jun to the 'Negative Response Team'

by Park Joonyi

Published 29 Jun.2021 11:35(KST)

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is entering the Maeheon Yun Bong-gil Memorial Hall in Seocho-gu, Seoul, where a press conference for his presidential election candidacy is being held on the morning of the 29th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol began his journey as a presidential candidate starting with his political participation declaration on the 29th, and the details of the ‘Yoon Seok-yeol Camp’ are gradually coming into focus.

So far, the only major figure publicly revealed from the camp is former Prime Minister’s Office Coordinator Lee Seok-jun. Lee, who joined the Yoon Seok-yeol Camp on the 21st, is a seasoned and orthodox economic bureaucrat known for his expertise in the economic field, and is expected to oversee Yoon’s economic policy plans. He has served as General Manager of the Ministry of Finance and Economy, Director of Policy Coordination at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, Budget Director, and during the Park Geun-hye administration, he held positions such as Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and Minister-level Coordinator of the Prime Minister’s Office. In a phone interview with Asia Economy on the day, Lee said, “From today onward, we will start organizing the camp.”

Other members of the public relations line include spokesperson Lee Sang-rok, a former journalist; deputy spokesperson Choi Ji-hyun, a lawyer; public relations team leader Woo Seung-bong, who previously served as spokesperson for Incheon City; and public relations team member Jang Kyung-ah, who has experience as a staff member for lawmakers Hwang Young-cheol and Kim Jin-tae. Four people have been recruited in total.

Starting as a small organization, the Yoon Seok-yeol Camp is forming various teams such as a policy team and a negative response team ahead of the presidential bid. In particular, to respond to allegations and controversies surrounding Yoon, such as the ‘Yoon Seok-yeol X-file,’ close aides Son Kyung-sik and Lee Wan-gyu, both lawyers, are organizing the negative response team and plan to engage in media communication.

As Yoon’s policy think tank, the expert group supporting him called the ‘People’s Coalition for Fairness and Common Sense Restoration (Gongjeonggwa Sang-sik)’ is mentioned. Because of this, attention is focused on whether former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kim Sung-han, who is expected to attend an upcoming forum event, will be recruited into the camp. On the 30th, Gongjeonggwa Sang-sik will invite former Deputy Minister Kim to the Maeheon Yun Bong-gil Memorial Hall in Seocho-gu, Seoul, where Yoon’s political participation declaration was made, to discuss foreign and security policy plans. The group’s representative, Professor Emeritus Jeong Yong-sang of Dongguk University’s Department of Law, is known to plan to deliver policy materials researched with experts to Yoon.