Yoon, Hong expected to meet up next week at earliest

The main opposition People Power Party’s presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol will have a meeting with Rep. Hong Joon-pyo, one of his competitors in the party’s primaries, next week at the earliest. Yoon seemingly intends to speed up his efforts to consolidate the party based on a dramatic reconciliation with the People Power Party’s leader Lee Jun-seok following a series of political discords. 　

Yoon on Thursday made a call to Hong to seek his advice on the growing internal confliction within the party, according to some politicians in the opposition party next day. Hong reportedly said in a phone conversation, “It is not the right way to go to resolve the ongoing internal conflict in a way that causes Lee to leave the party.” Following his talks to Hong, Yoon attended a general meeting of the party members to hold Lee’s hands and mend their relationship. 　

Yoon said to the press on Friday, “I called Hong to exchange New Year’s greetings and say hello yesterday,” adding that Hong proposed to meet him next week or so with no particular date set yet. It was reported that Yoon also expressed his intention to join a live streaming show on Hong’s YouTube channel titled “TV Hongka Cola.”

Political observers within the party and outside analyze that their meeting will serve as an opportunity to unite the party tightly. The separation from former election chief Kim Jong-in, who has presumably been in an ill-fated relationship with Hong, has made it easy for Yoon and Hong to cooperate, said a member of the main opposition party.


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