Handonghun and Ruling Party Emergency Committee Chair, Will They Face 'Kim Geonhee Special Investigation' Head-On?

The Democratic Party's National Committee Approves Han Dong-hoon as Emergency Committee Chairman
'Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor' Challenge... Presidential Office Plans to Reject
"Direct Confrontation... Calls for Negotiation on Plan Removing Toxic Clauses"

'Politician Han Dong-hoon' faced a difficult challenge from the start. While the opposition party announced its intention to push forward with a special investigation on First Lady Kim Geon-hee, the Presidential Office has settled on exercising a veto. Attention is focused on how Han Dong-hoon, the nominated Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, will resolve this 'special investigation dilemma.'

The People Power Party will hold an online national committee meeting on the 26th to approve the appointment of Han Dong-hoon as Emergency Response Committee Chairman and other agenda items. The voting results will be announced around 1 p.m. that day, and if the appointment is approved, Han Dong-hoon will be officially appointed as the Emergency Response Committee Chairman. However, the party will not immediately transition to Han Dong-hoon's emergency response committee system. The appointment of up to 15 committee members must be finalized. It is expected that the appointments will be completed by the end of the year at the earliest.

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon is adjusting his glasses during the plenary session of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held at the National Assembly on the 19th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The biggest issue Han Dong-hoon faces is whether to accept the 'double special investigation law,' including the special investigation on Kim Geon-hee, which will be submitted to the plenary session on the 28th. Initially, Han labeled it as a 'bad law.' On the 20th, he criticized it to reporters at the National Assembly, saying, "It is a bad law created with a specific timing to facilitate the Democratic Party's propaganda and agitation ahead of the general election." He pointed out provisions such as allowing live broadcasts of the investigation before the general election and including incidents recognized during the special investigation process as 'poisonous clauses.'

There are not many options. The basic choices are simple acceptance, conditional acceptance, or rejection. However, the Presidential Office has already settled on exercising a veto. The People Power Party, government, and Presidential Office held an emergency party-government meeting the day before and confirmed their stance of 'non-acceptance' of the special investigation bill.

A Presidential Office official told Asia Economy in a phone interview on the possibility of a change in the 'non-acceptance policy of the Kim Geon-hee special investigation,' "The Presidential Office's position has not changed at all since Policy Chief Lee Gwan-seop's remarks." Earlier, on the 24th, Lee stated in a KBS interview, "The Presidential Office firmly believes that the bill was created with the intention of targeting the general election to find faults."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 22nd. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Within the party, there is speculation that Han Dong-hoon will choose a 'direct breakthrough.' If he simply aligns with the Presidential Office's policy, the opposition's attacks labeling him as 'Yoon Seok-yeol's avatar' will intensify, and it is pointed out that it is inevitable to confront the Presidential Office for his political moves and party innovation ahead of the general election. A senior People Power Party lawmaker said, "Considering Han Dong-hoon's political life, 'rejecting the special investigation' should be excluded as an option," and predicted, "He might choose a direct breakthrough by accepting the special investigation after removing the poisonous clauses."

There is also a view that the decision depends on a 'legal review.' A key ruling party official said, "It will not be easy for the president's closest aide to suddenly change the stance to 'accepting the special investigation,'" but added, "As a legal professional, he will likely accept the special investigation and thoroughly review the possible outcomes before deciding his position." He also forecasted, "To remove the poisonous clauses, a negotiation with Representative Lee Jae-myung is necessary, but that is also a difficult card." Additionally, since public support for the special investigation is high, there are claims that the president needs to persuade the public through a 'message to the nation' and other means.

The opposition party is launching an all-out offensive demanding 'acceptance of the Kim Geon-hee special investigation.' Hong Ik-pyo, floor leader of the Democratic Party, said at the morning floor strategy meeting, "A veto on the Kim Geon-hee special investigation law is a rejection of the people and a rejection of 'fairness and common sense.'" He emphasized, "As Han Dong-hoon said during his time as Minister of Justice, if there is a crime and an act related to that crime, investigating it is common sense for the people."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.