Park Wonseok, Lee Taekyu: "Revocation of Han Donghun’s Disciplinary Action Must Follow" [Current Affairs Show]

■ Broadcast: The Asia Business Daily 'Soh Jongsub's Current Affairs Show' (Mon-Fri, 4-5 PM)

■ Host: Soh Jongsub, Political Specialist ■ Producer: Lee Kyungdo, PD

■ Guests: Former Justice Party lawmaker Park Wonseok, former People Power Party lawmaker Lee Taekyu (March 9)

※ When quoting the content of this article, please be sure to cite 'Soh Jongsub's Current Affairs Show'.

Soh Jongsub: This is Soh Jongsub's Current Affairs Show. We are joined by former Justice Party lawmaker Park Wonseok and former People Power Party lawmaker Lee Taekyu for a lively discussion on various hot issues. Welcome to both of you.

Park Wonseok, Lee Taekyu: Hello.

Soh Jongsub: Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon did not apply for nomination from the People Power Party. What do you think is the reason? How do you analyze this?

Lee Taekyu: I believe it is a combination of factors. First, Mayor Oh has consistently clashed with Chairman Jang Donghyuk regarding changes in party direction. With the election approaching, it seems he is taking a decisive stand to demonstrate his resolve and ability to act. This likely serves to highlight his strong leadership to both the public and party members. Second, if you look at it from another perspective, the party’s direction has not changed at all, so if he simply accepts and becomes subordinate, there’s nothing left for him. Even if he were nominated by the party and ran for mayor, it would only undermine his competitiveness in the end. By making his case strongly and convincingly now, he is showing he is fighting with all his might. If things do not work out, he would have a justifiable reason to withdraw at this point.

Park Wonseok: It’s true that his image has been somewhat weak, and he has even been criticized for being indecisive. During the last presidential primary, he suddenly announced he would not run, and even now, people inside and outside the party still don’t understand why he made that decision. This time, it seems Mayor Oh Se-hoon intends to show a different side, but I do think his move is a political last stand and is largely driven by realism. Until last fall, it was still considered a winnable election.

Mayor Oh’s personal competitiveness and name recognition far outpaced other ruling party candidates, so even amid the challenges posed by Yoon Suk Yeol’s political turmoil, there was a sense that Oh Se-hoon still had a good chance. However, as the year turned, the situation shifted rapidly for two reasons. First, the effort to promote Jeong Wonoh has been successful. It’s a reality check.If Chairman Jang Donghyuk’s leadership continues as it is, I believe Mayor Oh might decide not to run, depending on the circumstances. He seems to be thinking it’s not worth entering an unwinnable race, and if a political realignment is inevitable after the local elections, he might be positioning himself for a new role in that scenario. If there is to be a truly meaningful change within the People Power Party, several preconditions must be met.

Soh Jongsub: What are those?

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon visited a real estate office in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul on March 9th to listen to the difficulties faced by young single-person households looking for housing. 2026.3.9 Photo by Kang Jinhyung

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Park Wonseok: First, the disciplinary action against former Chairman Han Donghun needs to be revoked. Anyone can see that the disciplinary action was excessive and was carried out as an extension of demands from the so-called “Yoon Again” faction-clearly forced. Second, people like Ko Sunguk and Jeon Hangil need to be removed. Even more dramatically, Chairman Jang Donghyuk himself should step down. I don’t think Chairman Jang Donghyuk can do any of these three things. I doubt he can even remove Ko Sunguk and Jeon Hangil, because he became party leader thanks to them and still stands on that support base, so he can’t make a decision that would undermine it himself.

Given this situation within the People Power Party, it’s unlikely that a few words will change Mayor Oh’s mind and lead him to apply for nomination just because the party asks him to reconsider. That would make him look foolish. Given the already difficult situation, his competitiveness would only decline further, and even if he did run, I think it would just lead to embarrassment. That’s why some people are speculating he might run as an independent.

Soh Jongsub: Do you think he will run as an independent?

Park Wonseok: If he has no intention of returning to that party and wants to reshape the conservative bloc by splitting the party and pursuing a new political vision, then running as an independent would make sense. Even if he fails, such a decision would have meaning. However, I don’t think Mayor Oh is prepared to make that kind of drastic decision. For now, it seems he is hoping for change within the party and looking for a justifiable reason to take action. We’ll have to wait and see, but I think the likelihood of him not running is higher than the likelihood of an independent bid.

Lee Taekyu: If the disciplinary action against former Chairman Han Donghun is revoked and he is reinstated, or if former Chairman Yoo Seungmin is brought back and given a role, or if the Reform Party led by Lee Junseok forms an electoral alliance, or if prominent party officials associated with the Yoon Again faction step down-if any of these visible changes happen, I believe many conservative supporters who left the party would become interested again.

Looking at Mayor Oh Se-hoon’s political career and his rise as Seoul mayor, it’s clear that he has benefited the most from the party. In fact, no one has received as much from the party as Mayor Oh. From a political ethics perspective, regardless of whether he runs, it would be more in line with political decency for him to stay in the party and work for its reform and renewal. Secondly, I don’t think Mayor Oh has enough grassroots support to build an independent political base. The same goes for former Chairman Han Donghun, in my view.

For a conservative figure to gain more attention and succeed, it’s crucial that several mid-level politicians establish a united front. However, right now, they are all acting separately. If they could unite and present a new vision for conservatism together, I believe even Chairman Jang Donghyuk could be influenced. But this won’t be solved just by a few lawmakers meeting with the chairman and asking for changes.

The broader trend needs to change fundamentally. In that respect, I believe unity among figures like Han Donghun, Yoo Seungmin, and Lee Junseok is crucial, but no one seems to be making that effort. I find that very disappointing. The problem isn’t just the Yoon Again faction. What’s more important is what comes after the Yoon Again era-what is the vision and identity of conservatism? There is currently no substantive discussion about the future of conservatism anywhere. It’s frustrating for those who genuinely care about the future of conservatism and the nation that these figures can’t come together at one table.

Soh Jongsub: Lee Junseok, leader of the Reform Party, said, "Now it’s the people’s turn to abandon the People Power Party. The People Power Party cannot be a partner for rebuilding conservatism." He also said the Reform Party will become a new home for conservatism. How do you evaluate his remarks?

Lee Junseok, leader of the Reform Party, is demonstrating and explaining the 'AI Election Manager' application at the National Assembly on the 9th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

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Lee Taekyu: From Lee Junseok’s perspective, he sees nothing to gain politically by associating with the People Power Party. So he is likely striving to establish himself as a leader of reformist conservatism, appealing even to moderates. I think there is a high probability the People Power Party will suffer a difficult and unfortunate outcome in the upcoming local elections.

After that, the party will likely descend into chaos, not a clean process of resignations and new elections, but a messy struggle. In that scenario, Lee Junseok could carve out a role for himself in both the conservative and moderate spaces. After all, the People Power Party once elected him as leader in a truly innovative moment.

Park Wonseok: The question is whether the Reform Party is prepared and has the organizational strength to seize that opportunity and scale up politically.

I don’t know how far along they are in preparing for the local elections, but it doesn’t seem they are positioned to run candidates for a significant number of local government heads. It appears they have a certain number of city and district council candidates, possibly aiming for cross-election wins in three- or four-member constituencies. But with that level of party strength, it will be difficult to break into the space.

The Reform Party does face limitations. However, in a period of political realignment, Lee Junseok will have a role to play. The Reform Party’s support base is somewhat different, especially centered on men in their 20s and 30s, a group traditional conservatives lack. This gives the Reform Party significance in terms of expanding the conservative base. However, as long as the People Power Party is dominated by the Yoon Again faction, it will be difficult to work together.

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Lee Taekyu: I believe reform-minded politicians need to unite under a common banner at this time. They need to create a roundtable, raise a common flag, and, after changing the political landscape, compete freely on that new stage. Right now, they haven’t even created that stage, so nothing is working. The 17% approval rating for the party shows that most moderate, rational conservatives have already left.

There needs to be a united front and a common banner that includes a new vision and outlook for conservatism. I hope such efforts are made. At present, the only thing uniting the opposition is being anti-Yoon-there is no substantive or policy-based outlook for a new conservatism. A true leader is the one who reaches out first.

Soh Jongsub: Today, we had a lively discussion on various issues with former People Power Party lawmaker Lee Taekyu and former Justice Party lawmaker Park Wonseok. Thank you both.

Park Wonseok, Lee Taekyu: Thank you.

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