Change of 'corrupt and incompetent' administration a must: ex-prosecutor general

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl speaks during a press conference at the Maeheon Yun Bong-gil Memorial Museum in Seoul, Tuesday, to announce his presidential bid. Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-han

Yoon declares presidential bid; hints at joining PPP

By Kang Seung-woo

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl announced Tuesday that he will compete in the next presidential election in a bid to stop the “corrupt and incompetent” Moon Jae-in administration from extending its rule.

While urging people agreeing with him to combine forces, Yoon hinted that he could join the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). The 60-year-old also vowed to rebuild justice and the rule of law.

Yoon is now a front-runner in many opinion polls among potential presidential hopefuls, who will take over from President Moon in May 2022. The presidential election is scheduled to take place, March 9 next year.

Yoon held his first official press conference in Seoul since his resignation from the top prosecutor post in March to unveil his political ambitions.

“This government not only privatizes power but also tries to extend its reign to plunder the nation,” Yoon said during the press conference held at the Maeheon Yun Bong-gil Memorial Museum ― the Korean independence activist known for setting off a bomb at a Japanese imperial army celebration that killed several dignitaries.

“I can no longer sit and watch it.”

Yoon said the country needs to stand up and resist the reign of the corrupt and incompetent ruling party, adding that he was ready to sacrifice and dedicate everything for the people and the future of the country.

“We must achieve a change of administration … the people and political groups who agree on this must join forces. Otherwise, the people will suffer for a long time, and the country will be a completely corrupt nation, which would be an indelible mark on the people and history,” Yoon said.

People watch former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl's press conference at Seoul Station, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

After resigning from the top prosecutor post due to his feud with the government over “prosecutorial reform” and a series of politically sensitive investigations targeting corruption among key ruling bloc figures, Yoon has emerged as a potential presidential candidate for the opposition bloc. This has raised speculation that he may join the PPP, although he was involved in a special prosecutor team that played a key role in impeaching former President Park Geun-hye, the former leader of the Saenuri Party, a predecessor of the PPP.

Yoon did not deny the possibility of joining the conservative main opposition party, saying he shared its political philosophy.

“In terms of the value of freedom, I am on the same line with the PPP,” he said.

“Regardless of whether to support the PPP, if they are people who think about running the country based on intelligence and commonsense, they will agree with the value of a free democracy.”

As PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok is currently not considering “preferential treatment” for the former top prosecutor, Yoon is expected to delay joining the party as much as possible to gain leverage.

Yoon also said, “With common sense as my weapon, I will definitely rebuild a free democracy and the rule of law that have been torn apart, as well as the value of justice that can reverberate through different eras and generations.”

Supporters of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl surround him as he leaves the Maeheon Yun Bong-gil Memorial Museum in Seoul, Tuesday, after announcing his presidential bid. Joint Press Corps

Yoon started to gain public attention in October 2013 when he disclosed that his investigation team was pressured by the then-Park government while it was investigating the intelligence agency's alleged meddling in politics.

The disclosure and ensuing conflict with the administration saw him punished by being assigned to less important positions in the prosecution.

But he returned to the main stage in December 2016 as a member of a special team looking into the massive corruption scandal involving former President Park. Upon Moon's inauguration in May 2017, he was appointed as chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and then promoted to prosecutor general in July 2019.

However, he became engaged in conflict with the Moon administration's justice ministers and ruling party members over a series of politically sensitive investigations into key ruling bloc figures, as well as a major prosecution reform drive that sought to dramatically weaken its investigative powers.

The clash has transformed him into a strong potential presidential contender, coinciding with the current government losing public confidence due to its failure to contain soaring housing prices and further corruption scandals involving government and ruling party officials.

A Korea Society Opinion Institute survey showed Monday that 32.4 percent of respondents picked Yoon as their most preferred candidate in the election, followed by Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung with 28.4 percent.