Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
PPP back in turmoil as Yoon and interim leader clash
People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon, left, speaks during a party meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Monday. Han rejected President Yoon Suk Yeol's demand to step down from the post following feud over issues involving first lady Kim Keon Hee and candidate recommendations for general elections. On the right is Kim Kyung-yul, a member of the interim leadership, who urged the first lady to apologize for controversies surrounding her. Yonhap
By Nam Hyun-woo
Han Dong-hoon rejects president's request to step down
Internal strife has resurfaced within the ruling People Power Party (PPP) as President Yoon Suk Yeol conveyed his intention for the party's interim leader, Han Dong-hoon, to step down. However, Han, the former justice minister, who is also known as one of the president's most-trusted confidants, promptly rejected the proposal.
The presidential office and Yoon's loyalists within the party are pointing to what they claim are Han's "controversial recommendations" of specific candidates for particular constituencies in the upcoming general elections. However, the broader interpretation of the feud suggests that Yoon's discontent stems from the PPP's growing criticism of controversies surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee.
As Han resists resigning, the PPP's campaign for the general elections seems to be encountering turbulence, with only 79 days remaining until the voting takes place.
On his way to the National Assembly, Han told reporters, “As far as I know, my term continues after the general elections.” He added, “I will not speak about details because I rejected the resignation request.”
“I believe the April 10 general elections are extremely important for the future of this country and its people,” said Han, who took the helm of the ruling party’s interim leadership Dec. 26 as part of the PPP’s bid to appoint a new leader and improve its electoral prospects.
"I assumed this position with the determination to invest all my efforts, and I believe I have given my best thus far. I am committed to showcasing the party's transformation to the public, aiming to prevent the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) from causing hardship to the people and jeopardizing the country's future," he said.
Han's remarks followed reports that a senior presidential secretary, along with several influential figures in the PPP, held a meeting with him. During the meeting, the presidential office conveyed Yoon's intention for Han to resign from the position.
Sources at the party and the presidential office said Han's recent public endorsements of Kim Kyung-yul, a member of the PPP's interim leadership committee, and Won Hee-ryong, the former land minister, as candidates for Mapo B and Incheon Gyeyang B constituencies, respectively, are considered "problematic."
Citing an unnamed source, broadcaster Channel A reported that Yoon told his staff that Han's public endorsement of Kim for the Mapo B constituency on Jan. 17 was perceived as "bid rigging." Yoon reportedly said Han should "consult with the heavyweights in recommending candidates."
However, many pundits say the PPP's escalating criticism of the first lady is the underlying factor. Last week, Han remarked that the allegation involving the first lady receiving a Christian Dior handbag from a Korean American pastor in 2022 could be "a matter of public concern." He also noted there were "several misdeeds in handling the issue," although it was later revealed that the incident was a planned set-up using a spycam.
"Voice of Seoul," a liberal YouTube-based news channel, claimed in November that the first lady had received a Christian Dior handbag valued at around 3 million won ($2,240) from the pastor in September of 2022. The channel released video footage of the incident, which was clandestinely filmed by the pastor using a hidden camera.
Following the incident, Kim, the interim leadership committee member, drew a comparison between the first lady and Marie Antoinette, the 17th-century queen of France whose lavish lifestyle played a role in triggering the French Revolution. Kim urged the presidential couple to provide an explanation. Additionally, several party members, who joined after Han assumed leadership, also called for an apology from the first lady.
The raised voices created a stir among the Yoon loyalists within the PPP. On Sunday, PPP Rep. Lee Yong, who served as Yoon’s personal secretary when he was president elect, posted a news article claiming that Yoon voiced his disappointment with Han on a Telegram chatroom of PPP lawmakers.
However, PPP Secretary-General Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok criticized this move. In a radio interview with broadcaster KBS, he stated, "The discussion between the presidential office and the party was reported by the press without screening, and this was posted on the chatroom of lawmakers." He emphasized that such communication is "undesirable and unhealthy."
PPP Rep. Tae Yong-ho also said in an interview with broadcaster Channel A that he is against Han’s resignation. “I think Yoon and first lady Kim making a public apology is an option,” he said.
On the other hand, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, who is also a PPP member, wrote on Facebook, Monday, “The party’s leader will be expelled when he or she loses the trust of the party.” Hong also criticized the comparison between the first lady and Marie Antoinette.
An official clears the table which was set up for President Yoon Suk Yeol before a town hall meeting on deregulation in Dongdaemun District, Seoul, Monday, just minutes after Yoon decided to skip the event. Yonhap
Against this backdrop, Yoon decided to cancel his participation in a town hall meeting with citizens on deregulation just 30 minutes before the event was scheduled to take place on Monday. Although the presidential office said Yoon has the flu, the decision was widely interpreted as an expression of his displeasure with Han's resistance. This is notable given that the president has been actively involved in previous sessions of the town hall meetings, personally presiding over them.
The feud between Yoon and Han is anticipated to deal a hefty blow to the PPP’s election campaigns, because conflicts are anticipated to escalate between Yoon loyalists, former officials at the presidential office and newcomers recruited by Han in the process of the ruling party’s candidate recommendations and nominations.
Moreover, conflicts between Yoon and Han could potentially fuel criticism that the president is attempting to influence the upcoming general elections.
Main opposition DPK Chairman Lee Jae-myung told reporters Monday that Yoon’s action constitutes “blatant interference” in the general elections, adding “(the PPP) should pay attention to the public's livelihood rather than to an argument between Yoon and Han.”
In a YouTube interview with a journalist from OhmyNews, Lee Jun-seok, former PPP chairman and the current head of the of the Reformist New Party, said the conflict between Yoon and Han is “a scripted sparring match” aimed at giving Han greater momentum.