“I Will Not Use the Expression ‘Yoon’s Key Aides’ and the ‘Yoon-Ahn Union,’” Ahn Cheol-soo Cancels His Schedules Following Conflict with the Presidential Office

Ahn Cheol-soo, a candidate for the People Power Party leadership, raises both his fists at a joint convention of party members in Dongdaemun-gu Gap (1) and Eul (2) at the Dongdaemun-gu Office, Seoul on February 5. Yonhap News

Ahn Cheol-soo, who announced his bid for People Power Party (PPP) leader, canceled his schedules for February 6, after President Yoon Suk-yeol personally expressed his discomfort over Ahn’s use of words, such as the “Yoon-Ahn union” and “Yoon’s key aides.” Ahn responded, “If he thinks they are bad expressions, then I will not use them.”

On Monday, Ahn’s campaign team sent a text message to the press and announced, “Plans to volunteer at a soup kitchen for senior citizens living alone and to appear on the KBS1 talk show, Each and Every Case, have been postponed for future occasions.” Ahn’s team explained the reason for the postponement and said, “We inform you that some of Ahn Cheol-soo’s schedules for today were adjusted to a later time in order to inspect the situation and plan our response to the political situation.”

Ahn recently came under heavy fire from the Office of the President. According to the presidential office, President Yoon recently warned, “I will regard anyone who tries to seek political benefits from the expression, ‘Yoon’s key aides (Yoonhaekgwan),’ who do not exist, as an enemy and a person interfering with state administration.” President Yoon also spoke on Ahn’s recent promotion of a Yoon-Ahn union and said he “went too far.”

Just before Ahn canceled his schedule for the day on Monday, he appeared on Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show (CBS radio) and spoke on the criticism by the presidential office over his use of the expression “Yoon’s key aides” and said, “I had no such intention. I had no idea he would think of it that way,” and added, “I have decided not to use the expression, because it has a negative nuance as he said.” As for the Yoon-Ahn union, Ahn said, “If he thinks it is a bad expression, then I don’t plan to use it.”

Ahn Cheol-soo seemed to take a step back in his relationship with the president. When the show’s host asked him what his relationship with President Yoon was like despite that Ahn had been his partner in an agreement to stand behind a single candidate in the presidential election and also served as the chairperson of the presidential transition committee, Ahn said, “Actually, I don’t clearly understand it myself. But I think I did not try hard enough and plan to work even harder.” When the host mentioned words going around claiming that President Yoon was disappointed, Ahn said, “If he was disappointed, then I think it was because I did not properly and sufficiently convey my thoughts.” He also responded to the allegation that he had refused the president’s proposal to serve as prime minister when he was in the presidential transition committee, which disappointed the president, and explained, “I was never offered to serve as prime minister.”

The latest incident did not break Ahn’s determination to run for party leadership. When the host mentioned concern from inside the People Power Party that Ahn would engage in his own politics, with an aim on the presidential election, Ahn said, “Even if you are the party leader, you will only be able to join a pool of presidential candidates when you prove that you are qualified by responding well to various situations.” Shin Pyeong, a lawyer known to be close to President Yoon, said that if Ahn was elected party leader, the president could leave the party. Ahn said, “He (Shin) is the head of former floor leader Kim Gi-hyeon’s supporters,” and pointed the arrow at Kim, an opponent in the race for party leadership.

Earlier, in an interview with Pen & Mike (pennmike) on February 3, Ahn Cheol-soo spoke on “Yoon’s key aides,” and said, “They have no interest in the fate of the president. The only thing important to them is their next, next nomination as candidates.” When the host asked who the leader of “Yoon’s key aides” were, Ahn said, “I think it is lawmaker Chang Je-won.” In an event at the party member office in Jungnang-gu Gap (1), Seoul on January 31, Ahn mentioned the “Yoon-Ahn union” saying, “The Yoon-Ahn union, a union of President Yoon and Ahn Cheol-soo, it fits remarkably well.”