Ahn Cheol-soo suspends campaigning for ruling party chairmanship amid conflict with President Yoon

Ruling People Power Party chairman candidate Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, second from right, pays respect to the national flag during a party event in southern Seoul's Dongjak District, Sunday. Yonhap

By Nam Hyun-woo

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, a chairman candidate for the ruling People Power Party (PPP), suspended his public activities on Monday, following a conflict with the presidential office over his remarks on a coalition between himself and President Yoon Suk Yeol.

According to Ahn's camp, the three-term lawmaker has canceled his appearance at a volunteer service and an interview with local broadcaster KBS, as well as other public events scheduled for the day, other than a radio interview with broadcaster MBC that he had appeared on before the announcement. He will hold an event to announce his political vision on Tuesday as scheduled.

“Ahn cleared his (Monday) schedule to take a breather and explore strategies for political affairs,” his camp said in a text message to reporters. “With the chairman election being overheated, we will focus on exploring policies more specifically.”

The suspension came after Ahn and the presidential office exchanged accusations over Ahn's description of his relationship with President Yoon as a “coalition” during the past weekend.

On Sunday, senior presidential secretary for political affairs Lee Jin-bok told reporters that “Ahn's use of the term 'Ahn-Yoon coalition' is absolutely the wrong expression, because the president and the candidate are not on the same level,” calling the remarks an “attempt to drag the president into the party chairman election.”

According to another unnamed presidential secretary, “The president has said that he will consider those who seek political benefits by using terms such as 'Yoon haek gwan' destroyers or enemies,” referring to a term which translates as “Yoon's close confidants.” Ahn used the term during his appearance on a YouTube channel on Feb. 3.

During his radio interview with MBC on Monday morning, Ahn refuted the presidential office's criticisms.

“It is very inappropriate for the presidential office to intervene in the party's chairman election,” he said.

However, he took a step back, also saying, “I will not use the term (Yoon-Ahn coalition) if the president thinks it is inappropriate.”

Regarding the term “Yoon haek gwan,” Ahn also said he didn't expect Yoon to be upset about it.

The suspension of Ahn's campaigning has a familiar ring. Former PPP lawmaker Na Kyung-won, who was leading surveys on the PPP chairmanship earlier this year, withdrew her bid following a conflict with the presidential office.

After Na dropped her bid, Ahn rose to the pole position in surveys. But now he is getting crossfire from the presidential office and the PPP's mainstream pro-Yoon faction. In the meantime, rival candidate Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon is seeking support from members for the party leadership race, styling himself as Yoon's pick.

Among party members outside the pro-Yoon faction, suggestions that the presidential office is “intervening” in the party's chairman election are growing.

“The presidential office's intervention is very inappropriate,” Cheon Ha-ram, PPP's Suncheon Gap chapter head and a candidate for the party chairman election, said during an interview with broadcaster CBS. “Yoon should clearly say that he will not intervene in the election.”

Ruling People Power Party chairman candidates Reps. Ahn Cheol-soo, right, and Kim Gi-hyeon shake hands during a party event in southern Seoul's Dongjak District, Sunday. Yonhap

Experts are saying it is too early to forecast whether the presidential office's criticisms against Rep. Ahn will benefit Rep. Kim or not, but raised voices that the office used “excessive expressions on Ahn.”

“I don't think this is the president's intervention in party affairs because Yoon is also a member of the PPP and he can always express his opinions on the party's direction,” said Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University. “It is too early to say whether the current situation helps Rep. Kim, although the criticisms of the wording 'Yoon-Ahn coalition' seem to be excessive.”

Eom Gyeong-yeong, director of the private political think tank Zeitgeist Institute, also noted that the presidential office's criticisms seem to be excessive, seeing as Yoon and Ahn merged their campaigns during last year's presidential election, and Yoon himself has mentioned a “coalition government with Ahn.”

“As the country's political circles saw Na dropping her party chair bid, we all came to know that Yoon's mind is on Rep. Kim,” Eom said. “With Yoon's pick being so obvious, Ahn's leadership in multiple surveys means a lot, and excessively influencing, whether it is legitimate or not, may have an adverse impact of giving the public an impression that the presidential office is at the center of the party chairman election.”