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| Former presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok, left, smiles with his replacement Noh Young-min after announcing a changes to the senior presidential secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. Yonhap |
By Kim Yoo-chul
A handful of President Moon Jae-in's aides are reportedly seeking to run in the general election scheduled for April next year.
Rumors are circulating that former presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok may run in Jongno-gu, central Seoul.
"I will take several months off for a break, but I will move somewhere in Jongno-gu once I return to prepare for my next step," Im said.
A Cheong Wa Dae official said, "Jongno is a symbolic place in Korean politics. If Im is elected, it will have a significant meaning."
Former chief presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan is also rumored to run in Jungwon-gu in Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, in the 2020 election.
"My next mission is how to help Moon get more public backing for his policy agenda in the National Assembly instead of Cheong Wa Dae," Yoon said.
Moon's single five-year term is due to end in 2022. Therefore, he may face a lame-duck period during the latter half of his presidency if the ruling party does poorly in the general elections.
