Shift away from snap elections

[Anchor]

With President Yoon's release, the potential candidates from both the ruling and opposition parties who were preparing for an early presidential election can no longer proceed with their campaign plans.

The ruling party candidates have complicated feelings, while the opposition candidates are focusing primarily on impeachment.

Reporter Oh Dae-seong has the details.

[Report]

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has been advocating for preparations against 'impeachment approval'.

Following President Yoon's release, he has urged the resumption of impeachment trial arguments.

[Oh Se-hoon/Mayor of Seoul: "Complementary arguments need to be proceeded. There is a need to heal substantive and procedural flaws and defects...."]

Pro-impeachment former representative Han Dong-hoon expressed a desire to meet with President Yoon, suggesting a mood for improving relations.

[Han Dong-hoon/Former Representative of People Power Party/SBS 'Pyeon Sang-wook's News Briefing': "(The President) has also been a shield for us, and there are many good memories of trust between us."]

As the party's focus shifts towards President Yoon, the calculations have become more complicated.

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, who emphasized being a 'prepared presidential candidate', criticized the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, while Minister of Employment Kim Moon-soo has consistently called for the dismissal of impeachment.

The candidates from the non-mainstream faction, who were at odds with Representative Lee Jae-myung, are now uniting.

The impact of the so-called anti-Lee faction's remarks about collusion with the prosecution seems to be fading.

They are calling for immediate dismissal and the resignation of the Prosecutor General, engaging in hunger strikes and one-person protests.

[Kim Kyung-soo/Former Governor of Gyeongnam/CBS Radio 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show': "We cannot guarantee that impeachment will happen, and in such situations, we need to contribute even a small amount of strength...."]

[Kim Dong-yeon/Governor of Gyeonggi Province/Yesterday: "I urge the resignation of the Prosecutor General and the awakening of the prosecution."]

Momentum is gathering to call for the President's dismissal.

Amid reflections on having been focused on an early election, the presidential election organization of the party is also likely to slow down its operations.

For the time being, rather than pursuing presidential campaigns, it seems that candidates from both the ruling and opposition parties will focus on strengthening their respective factions until the Constitutional Court's ruling.

This is KBS News Oh Dae-seong.