First lady told pro-Yoon YouTuber to take down Han Dong-hoon, says PPP official
First lady Kim Keon Hee examines a pulley installed on the railing of Mapo Bridge in Seoul on Sept. 10. Courtesy of the Presidential Office
President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee see ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon as a rival and are working to oust him with the help of pro-Yoon YouTubers and party members, Shin Ji-ho, deputy secretary-general for strategic planning of the PPP, alleged.
In a radio interview with Channel A on Wednesday, Shin said, "Rumors are widespread that on Dec. 9, first lady Kim called a pro-Yoon YouTuber and said, 'Han Dong-hoon must be dealt with.'"
This alleged call came a day after Han and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced a joint governance plan as a response to the Dec. 3 martial law declaration.
Shin said that Kim Min-jeon, a member of the PPP's Supreme Council, exchanged messages with a conservative YouTuber, Park, who is pushing for disciplinary action for the party leader.
Shin criticized the pro-Yoon faction, saying, "While the entire nation is shocked and enraged by the unconstitutional and unlawful imposition of martial law, they are focused on removing Han Dong-hoon and taking control of the party."
"The president justified martial law as a means to eradicate anti-state forces, and since he ordered Han Dong-hoon's arrest, it’s clear he views Han as such a force," He added. "The pro-Yoon faction shares this perception and seeks to undermine Han to regain party control."
People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon holds an emergency press conference regarding President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
When asked by the host if the pro-Han faction would leave the party should pro-Yoon lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong become floor leader, Shin responded, "No, we’re not leaving just because the floor leader changes."
He said, "The pro-Yoon faction aims to dismantle the leadership by pressuring the four Supreme Council members under Han Dong-hoon to resign. But we’re not that easy to defeat."
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.