Handonghun "Desperate to Win the General Election, Came Out Knowing the Risk... Trust Relationship with President Yoon" (Comprehensive)

Handonghun "I Do Not Think About Anything After April 10"
Careful Response to Questions About Kim Geonhee
"If It Had Been Prosecutorial Dictatorship, Lee Jaemyung Would Have Been in Prison"

Han Dong-hoon, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, expressed his determination to win the general election. When asked about his potential challenge in the next presidential election, Chairman Han said, "I really haven't thought about what I will do after April 10," but added, "My life will probably get complicated after the election, whether I win or lose." Throughout the interview, Han answered confidently, but showed a cautious demeanor when the issue of First Lady Kim Geon-hee, wife of President Yoon Seok-yeol, was raised.

On the 7th, at a discussion hosted by the Kwanhoon Club, a gathering of senior journalists held at the Press Center, Chairman Han declared his intention to focus solely on victory until the general election. He said, "I will think about life after that (post-election) later," adding, "Life itself does not go as planned, so you have to widen your strike zone." Han stated, "Until April 10, when the magnolia blooms, I will concentrate on the election and not think about anything else," and emphasized, "I have no plans in my mind for after that." He also said, "If I fail to achieve the goals I have set for this general election, I will resign from the Emergency Response Committee Chairman position," but added, "If I win, I will not step down."

Han reminded that he is a political newcomer serving as the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party and expressed a solemn resolve. He said, "The People Power Party is in a very difficult situation, so someone who has not done narrow politics was suddenly brought up as party leader," and added, "Because this general election victory is so desperate, in a way, I came out knowing it is a path of death for me."

Han showed confidence regarding political reform, his relationship with President Yoon Seok-yeol, and political issues.

Regarding Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who mentioned "ending prosecutorial dictatorship," Han remarked, "If there had been prosecutorial dictatorship, Lee Jae-myung would be in prison now," which caused laughter among attendees. He said, "It’s like a comedy when someone pretending to be a prosecutor says such things," and added, "Political disputes and sharp confrontations can happen anytime, but self-destructive disputes that undermine the social system should not occur."

When asked to evaluate Lee, Han said, "Lee lies too much. It’s shocking that he is not ashamed of it," but also acknowledged, "He has gone through such hardships and waves, yet he still controls the party as its leader. I think that is remarkable political skill." He added, "However, I do not want to learn that kind of political skill."

Regarding the unanimous decision by the Democratic Party on the proportional representation election system, Han called it a "comedy," and questioned, "Not long ago, North Korea had 99 point something percent, but 100%? Is this North Korea?" He continued, "I don’t know why they have been fussing until now when they could have done it unanimously," and said, "They all agreed, so why did they go back and forth, lie, and say they would delegate to the leader? Why did they do that?"

On his relationship with President Yoon, Han said, "I have a very long-standing relationship with the President. We have various connections both publicly and privately," and added, "Communication with the presidential office is being carried out faithfully in various ways." Han attracted attention by saying, "The reason we can maintain a trusting relationship like this is that we acknowledge our differences and do not force our own thoughts when we disagree," and added, "It is still like that now."

Handonghun, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Kwanhun Club invitation debate held at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 7th. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

When asked if the presidential office’s demand for his resignation as Emergency Response Committee Chairman was interference in party affairs, Han said, "It’s not something to be decided in a black-and-white manner; what matters is what happens next," and added, "Communication is going well now, and I think the atmosphere is becoming better to do our work."

However, Han showed a cautious attitude when questions about First Lady Kim were repeatedly raised. Regarding allegations of her receiving luxury handbags, he said, "My position remains the same," but refrained from elaborating on specifics. Although he used expressions like "the public’s expectations" in relation to Kim’s response, his comments remained at a general level.

When asked how he thought the controversy should have been handled, Han said, "I will have to repeat what I have said about this issue," and added, "As I have said, it is fundamentally a low-level hidden camera conspiracy. From the beginning, that handbag was bought to take pictures." He continued, "There were definitely concerns from the public regarding security issues and various preceding and subsequent processes. This is a problem that can be supplemented in the future by establishing a second secretariat or appointing a special inspector," and concluded, "My position remains the same." The public concerns related to Kim were mentioned only to the extent that security was breached by hidden cameras and other issues.

Handonghun, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Kwanhun Club invitation debate held at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 7th. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

Earlier, Chairman Han drew attention by citing "the public’s expectations" regarding this controversy. However, when asked for a detailed explanation of this remark during the discussion, he only replied, "I pointed that out as a politician working from the public’s perspective."

Throughout the Q&A, Han repeatedly emphasized that this controversy is a "hidden camera conspiracy" and mentioned public concerns. However, he did not clearly specify what those public concerns were, only saying, "There were definitely points of anxiety and worry from the public’s perspective," and "I think we need to ensure that does not happen again." Regarding special inspectors, he said, "It is already an existing system," and added, "I have an active mindset about how to proceed."

Regarding the delayed prosecution investigation into the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case, in which allegations related to First Lady Kim were raised, Han said, "I cannot represent or speak on behalf of the prosecution’s position." However, he called the special prosecutor law, which was passed by the opposition party in the National Assembly but blocked by President Yoon’s veto, "clearly an election law."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party evaluated that Chairman Han’s double standards were revealed in this Kwanhoon Club discussion. Kwon Chil-seung, senior spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said, "He did not hesitate to insult the opposition leader by mentioning investigations, but tried to evade the public’s questions with ambiguous answers regarding the investigation of First Lady Kim," and criticized, "Why does he only represent the prosecution’s position regarding the opposition leader but evade answers by saying he is ‘not in a position to represent the prosecution’s position’ regarding Kim Geon-hee?" Kwon added, "No matter how much Chairman Han struggles to obscure the essence with double standards, he cannot turn Kim into a victim," and urged, "He should give up the unconditional and unlimited shielding of Kim."

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