Yoon, Ahn agree to continue efforts to form coalition government

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol announces his nominees for labor and agriculture ministers during a press conference at the presidential transition committee's office in Tongui-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press Corps

By Nam Hyun-woo

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol and presidential transition committee chairman Ahn Cheol-soo agreed to make mutual efforts to form a coalition government as they agreed earlier, amid widespread speculation that their vision may be too difficult to fulfill.

According to the president-elect's Chief of Staff Rep. Chang Je-won, Thursday, Yoon and Ahn met over dinner and "reaffirmed that they will be united for the success of the Yoon government."

"The dinner was full of laughter, and the two leaders agreed to hold their hands firmly for the coalition government," Chang said in a text message sent to reporters.

The meeting came as speculation mounted that a dispute had erupted within the transition team after Ahn's voice was almost ignored in Yoon's Cabinet nominations. Ahn called off his scheduled appearances, Thursday, in what appears to have been an expression of his frustration over Yoon's second round of Cabinet nominations announced a day earlier.

The seat for presidential transition committee chairman Ahn Cheol-soo is empty during the committee's COVID-19 response meeting at its office in Samcheong-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press Corps

According to his aides, Ahn was scheduled to visit Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters on Thursday morning, but the event was cancelled. He also did not show up at the transition committee's COVID-19 response meeting in the afternoon.

The transition committee has been notifying reporters about Ahn's schedule through Kakao Talk messages, but did not send any information about his schedule Thursday. Ahn also skipped a dinner with the president-elect and transition committee officials on Wednesday.

Presidential transition committee chairman Ahn Cheol-soo enters a meeting room at the committee's office in Samcheong-dong, Jongno District, Seoul, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps

Ahn, the chairman of the minor conservative People's Party, competed with Yoon during the presidential election campaign, but withdrew his candidacy to endorse his rival just six days before the March 9 election. While merging their campaigns, the two agreed to form a coalition government with the People's Party, which would be merged with the Yoon's People Power Party (PPP).

Due to the promise, Ahn was initially rumored to be named as the prime minister, but Yoon named former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo for that job, while officials from the People's Party or those close to Ahn were sidelined from the Yoon Cabinet.

While naming a total of 18 minister candidates, the transition committee has been publicizing that the prime minister nominee is playing a role in recommending candidates. But Ahn's presence in the Cabinet nomination process had diminished.

The conflict peaked when Yoon said Thursday that he received recommendations from Ahn and explained to him the process of nominations, denying claims made by Ahn's side that they were sidelined from Cabinet nominations.

"As far as I know, he has not been dissatisfied with the nominations," Yoon said during a press conference announcing his labor and agriculture minister nominees in the afternoon. "Though I don't know what he has on his mind, I don't understand the current situation, either. But there seems to be no problem with the Cabinet nominations."

Prime Minister nominee Han Duck-soo also said: "Nominating the Cabinet members always entails a very complicated process, and there are difficulties sometimes in keeping the principle of running state affairs together."

Ahn expressed his regret over the Cabinet nominations, Tuesday, saying, "I wanted to give my advice to Yoon in the fields of my specialties, but there has been no such process during the nominations."

Reportedly, Ahn was seeking to recommend the science or health and welfare ministers to Yoon, because he has been promoting those fields as his specialties given his background as a medical doctor and scientist. Sources said Ahn recommended at least four people for the Cabinet, but they were not included in the list of nominees.

As Yoon and Ahn showcased an amicable atmosphere during Thursday's dinner, however, their conflict appears to have been resolved, while the planned merger between the PPP and the People's Party is expected to pick up momentum.

The PPP held its supreme council meeting on Thursday but did not table a bill on the two party's merger.

PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok said the two sides have "already narrowed differences" on the merger. He added, "You can say that we are waiting for the People's Party's final decision."

The two sides reportedly agreed that the PPP would shoulder a 1.7 billion won ($1.39 million) cost, including the People's Party's debt and severance payment for full-time workers who will leave the party, after the merger. Also, they agreed to include up to two People's Party members in the PPP's supreme council.

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