Former prosecutor-general Yoon Seok-youl to declare presidential bid next Tuesday

Jun 25, 2021, 09:30 am

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Former Prosecutor-General Yoon Seok-youl applauds during an opening ceremony of Namsan Yejang Park in Seoul, June 9, 2021./ Photographed by Song Ui-joo (songuijoo@)

AsiaToday reporter Jo Jae-hak

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, one of the powerful presidential candidates, will declare his presidential bid next Tuesday, officially launching a political career three months after he stepped down from public office.

“I will speak to the public about the path I will take from now onward at 1 p.m. on Tuesday at a memorial hall for Yun Bong-gil in Seoul,” Yoon said on Thursday through the spokesperson.

Attention has been focused from inside and outside the political circles on the timing and place for his announcement to begin his political career. This is because the timing and place of his declaration of presidential bid has political symbolism.

Initially, Yoon’s side suggested only a rough time for his declaration, possibly as early as June 27. It was delayed due to the recent “X-file” controversy; however it seems they decided not to delay any longer to settle the controversy.

The fact that Yoon chose the memorial hall, which honors the spirit of patriotism, as the place to declare his presidential bid also draws attention. “The reason why I chose a place that commemorates the noble patriotism of late independence activist Yun Bong-gi is to show the public my willingness to carry on the spirit of the Constitution, which is the foundation of the Republic of Korea which our ancestors sacrificed their lives for,” he said.

The spirit of the Constitution is a value emphasized by former Prosecutor General, who had confronted the Moon Jae-in government through the so-called Choo-Yoon conflict between Yoon and former Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae.

“The spirit of the Constitution and the system of rule of law are crumbling,” he said in his farewell speech back then. “I will do my best to protect liberal democracy and protect the people.”

In the upcoming event to declare his presidential bid, Yoon is expected to highlight the value of justice and common sense based on the spirit of the constitution. He is expected to emphasize his image as an upright prosecutor as he pushed an investigation into the current administration’s corruption.

However, his state management capabilities involving economy, diplomacy, and security must be verified. In order to overcome his weakness of being only involved in a specific field, Yoon has attended the so-called “election class.” Starting with paying a courtesy visit to “first-generation Korean philosopher” Kim Hyung-suk, he met with “alley economist” Mo Jong-rin, labor and welfare expert Jeong Seung-kook, and more to discuss related policies.

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