Yoo Yi-dong, the People Power Party candidate for the Pyeongtaek by-election, stated that he will strive for unification with Hwang Kyo-ahn, the candidate from the Liberty and Innovation Party, "until the last moment."
During an appearance on SBS Radio's "Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show" on June 1, Yoo responded to a question about the possibility of unification with Hwang. Previously, on May 28, Yoo held an urgent press conference at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, proposing unification to Hwang, stating, "We must unite the strength of conservatives." In response, Hwang criticized Yoo's proposal during a press conference the same day, calling it a "political show for the sake of appearances" and demanded Yoo's withdrawal from the race.
When asked about Hwang's comments, Yoo said, "I proposed unification, and if he says I should withdraw, I have nothing to say. There is a strong desire in the region to unite the scattered conservative voices."
Yoo added, "If conservatives are divided, it will only pave the way for the ruling party candidates in Pyeongtaek. Public sentiment is shifting significantly, and I must heed the residents' calls to unite the conservative voices."
He further criticized Hwang's past actions, stating, "What he was trying to block through his hunger strike was the ruling party's unilateral constitutional amendment. There is also a special law to dismiss charges against the current president." He warned that if Kim Yong-nam from the Democratic Party and Cho Kuk from the Justice Party are elected, such attempts will become overtly aggressive.
Yoo expressed hope that by uniting, they could prevent such developments, urging others to consider this significant cause.
In response to Cho's criticism of Yoo's unification proposal as "nonsense," Yoo pointed out the hypocrisy, stating, "This is a typical case of 'do as I say, not as I do.'" He questioned Cho's motives, asking, "Is he seeking unification with Kim, who has been accused of loan sharking, or is it a unification to promote loan sharks? What will he say to that?"
* This article has been translated by AI.
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