Ruling Party Starts Checks on Han Dong-hoon’s Rise... Yoon Sang-hyun Says "No Strategy"

Korea, Dinner with Won Hee-ryong on the 12th

Former People Power Party Emergency Response Committee Chairman Han Dong-hoon has recently begun face-to-face contact with ruling party figures and has started public activities, drawing political attention to whether he will run in the party leadership election. The so-called 'Han Dong-hoon comeback theory' is growing, along with increased checks within the ruling party.

Former Emergency Response Headquarters Chief of the People Power Party, Han Dong-hoon, is expressing his position on the general election defeat at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 11th of last month. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

On the 14th, People Power Party lawmaker Hong Seok-jun appeared on BBS Radio's 'Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal' and said, "Personally, I think it would be desirable for former Chairman Han not to run, either for himself or for the party," adding, "Politicians need rest after major elections, whether they win or lose."

He continued, "If former Chairman Han runs for party leader, he will immediately face many attacks blaming him for the general election defeat, and such things are likely to become political wounds for him," and said, "Former Chairman Han has already become a crucial political asset in our camp, so it might be better for him to take some rest."

On the same day, People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun, in an interview with CBS Radio's 'Park Jae-hong's One-on-One Match,' said, "The reason former Chairman Han lost in the April 10 general election was because he didn't understand politics," adding, "In short, he lacked strategy." He further pointed out, "Realistic politics, politics from the heart, comes from reality," and "One must learn it on the ground, but former Chairman Han did not have the opportunity to learn politics on the ground."

Inside and outside the ruling party, there is an interpretation that former Chairman Han has started 'warming up' for a political comeback by engaging in recent public activities. This comes after it was reported that on the 12th, former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and co-campaign committee chairman Won Hee-ryong met with former Chairman Han at a restaurant in Dogok-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, following Han's retreat after the April 10 general election defeat.

Moreover, as the People Power Party's leadership election, originally expected to be held in late June or early July, may be delayed somewhat, there is a growing atmosphere inside and outside the party that former Chairman Han's challenge for party leadership is being taken as a foregone conclusion.

On the previous day afternoon, People Power Party lawmaker Lee Sang-min appeared on YTN Radio's 'Shin Yul's News Face-off' and said about former Chairman Han's possible candidacy in the party leadership election, "He hasn't explicitly stated that his decision is firm, but I think his mind hasn't been swayed." Lee said, "I haven't heard it directly, but judging by inference, it doesn't seem like he is definitely not running," adding, "If he runs, he must be prepared. I want to tell him that even if he gets hurt, he must endure the wounds and break through."

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