Former President Yoon faces resurgent calls to leave People Power Party

Calls within the conservative bloc for former President Yoon Suk Yeol to leave the People Power Party have resurfaced in recent days, with critics saying that such a move would appeal to voters ahead of the June 3 presidential election.

People Power Party Rep. Kim Yong-tae, who was named the new interim leader of the main conservative party on Thursday, suggested that Yoon leave the party in an afternoon press briefing held at the National Assembly in Seoul.

"I will meet with the (former) president at the earliest possible date and ask him to make a decision for the sake of the party and victory in the presidential election," Kim said during a question-and-answer session with reporters during the briefing. "I will respectfully recommend former President Yoon to leave the party as interim leader"

Kim added that he believes Yoon will make a "rational decision."

The interim leader had said the previous day that it "would be right to respect the president's decision," regarding Yoon's possible departure from the party.

Kim's remarks come amid a growing fissure within the conservative party with divided stances on the issue of Yoon's departure, as it struggles to challenge Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate and front-runner Lee Jae-myung, with some 20 days left until the election.

In the morning, People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo reiterated his stance that Yoon himself should be the one deciding whether to depart from the party.

"The issue of a president's departure from the party should be decided by the president himself," the former labor minister answered in a separate press briefing. "As a presidential candidate, I believe it is inappropriate for me to tell him to leave the party or stay."

The candidate's briefing on Thursday echoed his remarks made to the press during his campaign stop in South Gyeongsang Province the previous day, when he said that "it would be right to respect the decision of the president."

He also issued a second apology for Yoon's failed martial law bid during Thursday's briefing.

"Even if it is an authority granted under the Constitution, declaring martial law — unless there is a national emergency that cannot be controlled by police power — is inappropriate," he said. "I sincerely and respectfully apologize."

Aligned with the new interim leader's sentiment, Lee Jung-hyun, co-chair of the election committee and a former conservative lawmaker, officially requested that Yoon leave the party by the end of the day. The request was made during a meeting of the ruling party's election committee held ahead of Kim Moon-soo's briefing.

"For the future of the party and reconstruction of conservative power, I request that former President Yoon volunteer to leave the party by the end of the day," said Lee, who was recently a spokesperson for independent candidate and ex-Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's presidential campaign. He explained that "90 percent of the South Korean population" believes that Yoon's martial law bid was "wrong," and asked the party to officially issue a public apology for its part in the debacle.

The presidential candidate was present during the morning election committee meeting.

Yoon had yet to officially make any announcement regarding the issue of his possible departure from the party as of press time. However, a report by Kookmin Ilbo on Wednesday said in a recent phone call with the current People Power Party candidate that Yoon had expressed the willingness to leave the party "if Kim (Moon-soo) wishes."

Despite hopes expressed by some conservative politicians that cutting ties with Yoon could effectively woo voters, minor conservative New Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok voiced skepticism of such an outlook on Thursday.

"Even if former President Yoon leaves the People Power Party after being nudged to do so, it will not affect the voters' sentiment," Lee said during a KBS1 radio interview. "The timing is too late and it would feel like he's making the move reluctantly."

Lee said that the People Power Party should have expelled Yoon immediately after he declared martial law on Dec. 3 last year. "I question whether the People Power Party can carry out politics aligned with the people's minds when they couldn't even clearly handle the problem (with Yoon)."