The Pro-Yoon Attack Ahn Cheol-soo This Time: Even PPP Members Cry, “This Is Too Much”

“Yoon’s key aides” and lawmaker Kim Gi-hyeon (pictured, left), a candidate for the People Power Party (PPP) leadership representing pro-Yoon members, began attacking lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo (right) as an anti-Yoon figure on February 2. They launched the attacks on Ahn as they did against former lawmaker Na Kyung-won after the latest survey showed that Ahn was ahead of Kim in the party leadership race. Even from inside the party, people cried, “This is too much,” and argued, “It’ll put a burden on the president as well.”

Lawmaker Lee Chul-gyu was the first to fire away.

In the small hours on Thursday, he wrote on social media, “It’s ugly to see him (Ahn) pretend to agree with Yoon claiming to be pro-Yoon.” Lawmaker Kim appeared on SBS radio and asked, “Doesn’t former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min’s anti-President Yoon sentiment overlap with lawmaker Ahn?”

Lawmaker Lee Yong said, “I have doubts on whether he agreed to a single candidate unconditionally for the birth of the Yoon Suk-yeol government.” Lawmaker Park Soo-young appeared on CBS radio and argued, “President Yoon asked Ahn to serve as minister or prime minister when he reshuffled the cabinet, but Ahn refused.” Lawmaker Kim Jung-jae aimed at Kim Young-woo, a former legislator who headed Ahn’s election campaign, and criticized on social media, “A person who was on the Presidential Committee of National Cohesion, directly under the president, is driving a wedge between the president and the party just to help a certain candidate.”

The Presidential Committee of National Cohesion and the Office of the President dismissed Kim from the committee. A representative of the presidential office said, “We decided it was inappropriate for him to remain on the committee while leading an election campaign of a particular faction.”

The Presidential Committee of National Cohesion also announced, “It was very inappropriate for him to appear in the media and talk about the president’s intentions while stating his position as a committee member.” Kim Young-woo said that he respected the decision on his dismissal.

The attacks by pro-Yoon lawmakers suddenly began after a recent survey showed that Ahn Cheol-soo was ahead of Kim Gi-hyeon in the race for PPP leader.

Lawmaker Chang Je-won wrote on social media, “Supporters of some candidates are backbiting, spreading rumors of Chang Je-won becoming secretary general,” and added, “I will not take on any position in the party appointed to me by the next leadership.”

Ahn responded to the attacks by pro-Yoon lawmakers and said, “I think they are worried at the trend in the survey.”

As for his refusing to serve as prime minister, Ahn said, “It’s different from fact.” He also refuted the argument about how he came to support a single candidate and said, “I would not have agreed to a single candidate if I was not sincere about it.”

One lawmaker (proportional representation) said he was “embarrassed” by the fierce attacks by pro-Yoon members. A veteran lawmaker representing a district in the Yeongnam region expressed concern saying, “This is too much. It’s not helping the president at all.”

On February 2, the first day of candidate registrations for the March 8 party convention, major candidates for party leader including lawmaker Kim and Ahn and Hwang Kyo-ahn, Cho Kyoung-tae and Yoon Sang-hyun registered.

Ahn Cheol-soo stepped up to the podium with the words, “victory in the parliamentary elections,” “Yoon power” and “harmony” written on his fingers. The lawmaker, who claimed he was a candidate representing “Yoon power,” stressed that Yoon and Ahn were the best combination.

After registering as a candidate accompanied by his young supporters, Kim Gi-hyeon stressed “a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections.” As for his trailing Ahn in the polls, Kim described it as a phenomenon in the transitional phase and confidently said, “I will have a sweeping victory once the race really begins.”

Lawmaker Cho Kyoung-tae said, “The people who choose a party leader based on whether the candidate agrees with Yoon’s ideas are not qualified to have sovereignty.”

On Thursday, former president Park Geun-hye’s birthday, Hwang Kyo-ahn, former leader of the United Future Party (currently the People Power Party), and lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun both visited Park’s home in Dalseong-gun and handed a bouquet of flowers and a cake to the security guard. Yoon said, “The rise in Ahn’s support reflects opposition to the behavior of ‘Yoon’s key aides.’”

Attorney Kang Shin-eop, who also sat as chairperson of Keonhee Sarang (Love Keonhee), also registered as a candidate. Cheon Ha-ram, an anti-Yoon member serving as the chair of the PPP Member Council in Suncheon Gap (1), Jeollanam-do will register as a candidate on February 3.