South Korea’s main conservative opposition party is looking to entice the country’s former top prosecutor to be its leading candidate, a move that could make him a front-runner in the presidential election less than a year away.
Lawmakers from the People Power Party (PPP) said Tuesday they plan to make an offer to former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl after a leadership vote next week. The group is looking to unseat the progressive government of President Moon Jae-in by turning to a person who Moon had handpicked but who later faced backlash from the president for launching corruptions probes into his administration.
Yoon is at the top, or near the top, of several polls to replace Moon when the president’s single, five-year term ends in May 2022. Yoon’s office did not reply for a request for comment and Yoon has not said publicly if he intends to run. Yoon is seen as offering the opposition party a strong chance to take back the presidency, with an appeal that stretches beyond the party’s conservative base.
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