Rift widens in PPP as former leader faces expulsion

Former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon leaves a press briefing room after issuing a statement on the party ethics committee’s decision to expel him, in Seoul, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps

The main opposition People Power Party’s internal rift deepened Thursday after its leadership postponed a final decision on whether to expel former party leader Han Dong-hoon, highlighting doubts about the party’s ability to manage its own internal conflicts.

The move came despite an earlier ruling by the party’s ethics committee to expel Han, a decision that had already triggered strong backlash within the conservative party. By declining to confirm the expulsion at the highest decision-making level, the leadership effectively slowed the process and drew further criticism that the party is drifting without clear direction.

The dispute stems from what has been called the “party member bulletin board incident,” involving posts critical of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife on the PPP’s internal online board. The posts were made using accounts linked to Han’s family members. An internal review found that several of these accounts, all registered under Han’s relatives’ names, were accessed from the same few internet addresses, suggesting the activity may have been coordinated.

Han denied direct involvement, but the ethics committee said he bore political responsibility and cited the issue as grounds for disciplinary action.

PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok said the party’s supreme council would not move to finalize the expulsion while a review process is under way, citing the need to give Han a chance to respond.

“We will provide him with an opportunity to seek a review and to properly explain his position,” Jang said during the meeting. “Until that review process is concluded, the supreme council will not make a final decision on the ethics committee’s ruling.”

Under party rules, expulsion requires the supreme council’s approval after a decision by the ethics committee. While the leadership presented Thursday’s action as a procedural step, critics within the party said it reflected hesitation rather than careful consideration.

People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk heads to a meeting room ahead of a supreme council meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

Opposition to Han’s expulsion has spread beyond his immediate allies. A group of junior PPP lawmakers, many in their first or second term, urged the leadership not to impose the harshest possible punishment on a former party leader over an issue they said remains contested. Instead, they called for a more conciliatory approach to prevent further internal division.

Warnings from within the party grew sharper as pro-Han lawmakers openly questioned the leadership’s authority. Rep. Park Jeong-hun said confirming Han’s expulsion would trigger a backlash against the current leadership.

“If the expulsion is finalized, calls for the resignation of the party leadership will erupt,” Park said in a radio interview. “With this leadership, I don’t see how the party can prepare for an election. Party members will not stay silent.”

Concerns were also raised by senior figures typically seen as neutral in internal party conflicts.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo publicly warned that moving forward with Han’s expulsion could deepen fragmentation within the party at a time when unity is critical. Both emphasized that internal disputes should not be allowed to escalate into a broader leadership crisis.

Former supreme council member Kim Chong-hyuk also questioned Jang’s leadership, warning that the fallout could affect the party’s prospects in upcoming elections.

“There is already open talk within the party that it cannot win local elections under Jang’s leadership,” Kim said in a radio interview. “When you consider how current and prospective candidates are reacting, it is hard to see this leadership holding out for long.”

Jang’s decision to step back from an immediate vote has done little to calm tensions. Instead, the delay highlighted how deeply divided the party has become, with even basic procedural questions turning into points of contention.

Han himself has strongly criticized the ethics committee ruling, arguing that it was reached without giving him sufficient opportunity to defend himself. Han has yet to say whether he will formally seek a review, but the decision is widely seen as pivotal not only for his own political fate but also for the party’s longer-term trajectory.