Prospects for Political Moves After the Pardon of Jo Guk

Former Justice Minister Jo Guk has been released due to a special pardon on Liberation Day, and former chairman of the People Power Party's emergency committee, Kim Jong-in, has claimed, "Jo Guk's ultimate goal is to run for president."

However, due to the lack of strong evidence for this claim, there has been little response from those who see it as a reasonable speculation.

On the night of the 15th, Kim, speaking on CBS Radio's 'Park Jae-hong's One-on-One Challenge,' stated, "Given Jo Guk's nature, he is likely to take political action soon."

"No Clear Presidential Contender in the Democratic Party Raises Jo Guk's Profile"

Kim assessed that, "After the Democratic Party elected President Lee Jae-myung, there is no clear next presidential candidate," predicting, "There is a significant possibility that Jo Guk could emerge as a presidential candidate."

However, he added, "We need to see whether Jo Guk can achieve his goals solely through the Innovation Party outside the Democratic Party or find a path by merging with the Democratic Party." He pointed out, "It will be difficult to achieve the presidency without unifying candidates with the Democratic Party."

Caution Raised Over the Scenarios of Merger and Candidacy

He remarked that "the political environment changes rapidly. Over time, Jo Guk may come to be perceived as a former figure, and younger politicians within the Democratic Party may rise as presidential contenders," indicating that one cannot conclusively determine the landscape for the upcoming 22nd presidential election. Regarding speculation about running in local elections, he noted, "If he runs for local government positions, he will drift further from the presidency," predicting, "The possibility of running in a National Assembly by-election is greater."

On the question of unification, he assessed, "A merger seems like the easiest method, but due to intertwining interests, it is not realistically easy."

He further assessed that "Prime Minister Kim Min-seok and representative Jeong Cheong-rae are also individuals dreaming of the presidency, making it hard for the Democratic Party to willingly accept Jo Guk."

Image sources: Former Justice Minister Jo Guk / News1, Former Chairman of the People Power Party's Emergency Committee Kim Jong-in / News1, News1