Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Cheong Wa Dae aides flip sides becoming opposition presidential contenders
Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl during the opening ceremony of a park built to memorialize independence activist Lee Hoe-yeong on Namsan, Jung-gu, Seoul, June 9. Yonhap
By Nam Hyun-woo
By Nam Hyun-woo
Cheong Wa Dae is stunned and puzzled as a number of former or current aides of President Moon Jae-in are emerging as candidates for next year's presidential election ― but now for the conservative opposition bloc.
Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl and current Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) Chairman Choi Jae-hyeong are expected to announce their presidential bids this week. They had all been named to their positions by Moon, but have been receiving calls from the conservative opposition bloc after locking horns with the administration over investigating allegations unfavorable to the Moon government.
Against this backdrop, Moon's first finance minister, Kim Dong-yeon, is also being mentioned as a potential opposition candidate, irritating the President and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).
According to his spokesperson, Yoon is set to declare his bid for the presidency on Tuesday, threatening to become the leading conservative opposition candidate in the presidential election scheduled for March of next year. Yoon was involved in a conflict with the Moon administration after ordering the prosecution of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, a close ally of Moon. Cho resigned just 35 days after taking office as justice minister in September of last year, due to a prosecution investigation into various allegations surrounding his family.
Even before stepping down from his post in March, Yoon had led public opinion polls as the top presidential contender, although he had not spoken out directly about his presidential bid. After making an official announcement, Yoon is expected to make more public moves, such as officially joining the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP).
Along with Yoon, BAI Chairman Choi is expected to offer his resignation as early as Monday, which is viewed as an indirect sign that he will run in the presidential race.
Choi's relationship with the Moon administration turned sour last year during the BAI's audit into the government's decision to decommission the Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor before its maturity. At that time, the BAI found that a study on the nuclear reactor's feasibility had been “unreasonably undervalued” in order to support an early shutdown.
Choi had been overshadowed by Yoon as a presidential contender, but his profile has risen quickly in the conservative opposition bloc, after recent rumors that there is an “X-file” containing allegations raising serious issues about Yoon's moral integrity.
Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) Chairman Choi Jae-hyeong speaks during a press conference at BAI headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Feb. 13, 2019. Yonhap
So far, Moon is still maintaining his trust in Yoon and Choi, despite their switch to the conservative opposition bloc.
In January, at the peak of the conflict between Moon and Yoon, the President referred to him as, “the prosecutor general of our administration.” He also said that he trusted that Yoon's investigation into the scandals involving Moon's aides, as well as Choi's audit into the President's key policies, were not politically motivated.
As the chance of them officially becoming presidential candidates of the opposition bloc, grows, however, Cheong Wa Dae is now struggling to hide its vexation.
During a radio interview on Friday, Lee Cheol-hee, the senior presidential secretary for political affairs, said, “There is such a thing as terms, which exist for public officials like the prosecutor general and BAI chairman in order to guarantee their political neutrality and independence.” He added, “Not serving their full terms due to political activities ― such as to run in an election ― is indeed a minus factor for their organizations.”
Though Lee refused to comment directly about Choi's presidential candidacy, he said that he “personally wants Choi to remain a great mind of society.” With regards to Yoon's moves to run as a conservative opposition bloc candidate for president, Lee also said that he is “not in a position to comment,” although he has “a lot of things that he would like to say.”
Former Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon speaks to reporters while running a volunteer group at Myeongdong Cathedral in Jung-gu, Seoul, June 20. Yonhap
Former Finance Minister Kim's stance is also irking the presidential office.
Kim, who served in the administration from 2017 to 2018, has yet to declare whether he will run in the presidential election, but has been steadily stepping up his public activities ― such as running a volunteer group ― apparently in part of his preparation for the election. During a recent interview with a local economic newspaper, Kim revealed his political blueprint, offering a glimpse into his presidential ambitions.
Kim did not clearly state whether he plans to run with the liberal or conservative bloc. Last week, DPK Chairman Song Young-gil told reporters that he asked Kim to join the DPK primary to select its presidential candidate, and that Kim has yet to provide an answer, implying that he too may switch and run as a conservative opposition bloc candidate.