On the 7th, lawmaker Cho Jeong-hoon, who is leading the People Power Party’s general election white paper task force, commented on the leadership challenge by former emergency preparedness committee chief Han Dong-hoon, saying he believes the decision will be made carefully.
As the 2nd anniversary press conference of President Yoon Suk-yeol approaches, Cho expressed expectations for “candid and open communication” from the president.
During an interview with MBC Radio’s ‘Kim Jong-bae’s Focus’ on the same day, Cho pointed out the defeat of the People Power Party in the April 10th general election, stating that the party only achieved a third of its target seats in the metropolitan area and could win only one out of ten seats in Gyeonggi Province. He emphasized the need to acknowledge the party’s lack of competence rather than attributing the losses to bad luck.
Regarding the ongoing speculation about Han’s potential candidacy for the party leadership election, Cho avoided making a clear statement and hoped for a competition based on principled visions rather than discouraging or encouraging specific individuals to run.
On President Yoon’s upcoming 2nd anniversary press conference on the 9th, Cho mentioned the importance of humble and honest communication, stating that there is no politics where the president wins over the people, and he hopes for a more humble and candid approach from President Yoon in addressing shortcomings and seeking improvement.
Reacting to criticisms that President Yoon lacked reflection and determination for reform following the general election, Cho urged humble acceptance of public opinions and alignment of actions accordingly.
Anticipating questions about the issue of First Lady Kim Gun-hee’s luxury bag controversy at the press conference, Cho suggested that an expression of regret from the president might suffice due to the lack of punitive regulations on such matters. He also noted that the legality of the bag being a point of contention may require further examination.
Regarding the investigation into allegations of external pressure in the investigation of the Marine Corps corporal’s death, Cho emphasized the importance of identifying the cause of the tragic incident and preventing recurrence, stressing that no Korean citizen or politician should oppose this effort. However, he suggested that the process of fact-checking should be transparent and effective, proposing the abolition of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Office and the establishment of a special prosecutor’s office following doubts raised by the Democratic Party.
Regarding President Yoon’s situation with the refusal of the investigation authority on the corporal’s case, Cho predicted that there would be no defections from the People Power Party in such a scenario, stating that it should not be viewed as a political investigation, but rather an effort to prevent the corporal’s death.