As the second round of the presidential primary to select two candidates from the People Power Party approaches tomorrow, Ahn Cheol-soo, a candidate in the primary, is appealing for last-minute support.
Regarding the selection of Lee Jae-myung as the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, he criticized it as "North Korean-style democracy" and focused on highlighting his competitiveness by proposing a "1-on-1 opinion poll" against Han Duck-soo, the acting president.
Candidate Ahn criticized Lee by saying, "If one person has the authority to change everything, North Korean-style democratic governance can be realized."
On the same day, Ahn posted on Facebook, "The term 'freedom' appears only once in Lee's acceptance speech," adding, "He emphasized democracy, but it’s unclear whether that is social democracy or North Korean-style democratic governance."
He then expressed concern, saying, "The value of freedom will collapse in the Lee Jae-myung era," and "Corporations will be nationalized, and populist-style free welfare and public expansion will destroy our will to live."
Ahn stated, "We must put forth a candidate who can definitely win," and noted, "In a situation where the support for impeachment is over 60%, those from the anti-impeachment camp or former prosecutors dreaming of a second prosecutor-led administration cannot stop Lee Jae-myung."
He also criticized Han Duck-soo, the acting prime minister, who seems likely to run, saying, "We cannot win against those who are former public officials like Lee Jae-myung, such as provincial governors or ministers."
Ahn stated, "Only those who have been doctors, founded venture companies, taught students, and done politics with a public-minded heart, as well as those who have proven political power by creating a party with 38 seats since Kim Dae-jung, are capable of winning through differentiation."
Regarding the method of consolidation with Han, he suggested, "Let’s do a 1-on-1 competition method," emphasizing that "this is a method that has never been tried before."
On the morning of that day, Ahn told SBS Radio's Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show, "Let’s see who wins between candidate Lee Jae-myung and our candidate in several head-to-head competitions. Then we can look at the other candidates," adding, "That way, we can prevent adverse selection and know our competitiveness more accurately."
On the possibility of Han's candidacy, he stated, "According to the usual U.S. experts I know, he is number one in our country. The most important thing to do now is the tariff issue with the United States," and added, "Even lowering it by 1% could yield enormous national benefits." He continued, "If he decides to enter politics, I will suggest joining the anti-Lee Jae-myung front."
Additionally, regarding the final primary results of the People Power Party to be announced on the 29th, he stated, "I believe I will be among the top two," adding, "Since the president was removed, the approval rate among the people is over 60%. The structure of this presidential election is such that those who favor the president's removal will be elected."