Chang Je-won, one of the closest confidants of President Yoon Suk Yeol, said Tuesday he will not run in April's general elections, a surprise decision that could force other Yoon confidants and heavyweights of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) to follow suit.
Chang, a three-term lawmaker of the PPP, said he decided to give up seeking reelection in order to help the ruling party clinch a victory in the parliamentary elections so as to pave the way for the success of the Yoon administration.
"What in the world would be more urgent than the success of the Yoon Suk Yeol government?" Chang told reporters at the National Assembly during the announcement of his decision. "Winning the general elections is the minimum condition for the success of the Yoon Suk Yeol government."
Chang said he will root for the PPP's victory "from the backstage of history."
"Please step on me and help the Yoon Suk Yeol government to success through a victory in the general elections," he said.
Supporters of Yoon have said that taking a parliamentary majority is essential because Yoon has been unable to push ahead with his reform agenda in the face of an unfriendly National Assembly in which the main opposition Democratic Party holds a controlling majority.
A day earlier, Chang had strongly hinted at the possibility of not running in the upcoming elections, saying he "would like to take a pause" in a Facebook post uploaded after he visited the grave of his late father.
Chang and other senior members of the ruling party have been under pressure to give up seeking another term or running in more hard-to-win districts as part of reform measures that the PPP's innovation committee has proposed.
Chang's decision could affect other PPP heavyweights, such as party leader Kim Gi-hyeon.
The PPP innovation committee proposed the reform measures as part of efforts to regain voter confidence after the party suffered a crushing defeat in October's local by-election.