Former prosecutor general Yoon gearing up for presidential race
Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, center, and four-term lawmaker Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the conservative main opposition People Power Party, right, pose for a photo at a restaurant in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Saturday, in this photo provided by a member of the public. Yonhap
By Jung Da-min
Speculation is mounting that former prosecutor general Yoon Seok-youl will announce his presidential bid soon and probably join the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP). Fueling such speculation, Yoon, who quit the top prosecutor job after butting heads with President Moon Jae-in over prosecution reforms, has been meeting multiple PPP lawmakers recently. Yoon has yet to say whether he will run for president and rarely made public appearances until recently, although he has topped the opinion polls about potential presidential contenders.
Among the PPP lawmakers Yoon has met since last week were: four-term lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong, five-term lawmaker Chung Jin-suk and economist-turned-lawmaker Yun Hee-suk. The former top prosecutor also had a phone conversation with three-term lawmaker Chang Je-won.
Appearing at a radio show on local broadcaster KBS, Wednesday, Rep. Kweon said, “Yoon met or had phone conversations with several lawmakers of the PPP. These actions indicate that Yoon has not been considering creating a third party to gain a political base for the presidential bid.”
Kweon said he met Yoon last Saturday after receiving a request from the former prosecutor general. “There would be no other reason for Yoon to meet the PPP lawmakers. I believe Yoon intends to join our party for his presidential bid.”
Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, right, looks at economy-related publications, during his meeting with Mo Jong-ryn, a professor of international political economy at Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies, in Seoul's Seodaemun District, Tuesday, in this YouTube screenshot from Jang Ye-chan TV. Yonhap
Yoon is also meeting economists, apparently to learn about economy-related issues affecting Korea. On Tuesday, Yoon met with Mo Jong-ryn, a professor of international political economy at Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies, in the Yeonhui-dong area of Seoul's Seodaemun District. Yeonhui-dong is a neighborhood where many young people are running cafes or restaurants, and Yoon and Mo discussed how to help out small business owners.
Yoon could join the PPP in July or August at the earliest, after the party's convention on June 11, when it will select its new leader. The PPP is also considering forming a “big tent,” or broad alliance, with other minor opposition parties, including the People's Party, to win the next presidential election slated for March. If Yoon joins, he will have to compete with the other presidential hopefuls of the party, such as PPP member Yoo Seong-min and People's Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo.