Han Donghoon Directly Questions Ha Jungwoo's Candidacy: "Did President Lee Order It... Illegal Interference"

by Woo Sooyoun

Published 28 Apr.2026 14:57(KST)

Updated 28 Apr.2026 16:45(KST)

Han Donghoon, former leader of the People Power Party who has announced his candidacy for the parliamentary by-election in Buk-gu Gap, Busan, continued his criticism regarding the candidacy of Ha Jeongwoo, Senior Presidential Secretary for AI and Future Planning.

On April 28, Han stated, "Did President Lee Jaemyung instruct Senior Secretary Ha to run for office?" He added, "If true, this would constitute illegal election interference by the president."

He went on to say, "Senior Secretary Ha said, 'If the president instructs me to run in Buk-gu Gap, Busan, I will do so; otherwise, I will remain at the presidential office.' Given that he has actually entered the race, isn't it clear that the president's intentions have been reflected in this decision?"

Handung Hoon, former leader of the People Power Party. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Appearing on BBS Radio that morning, Han criticized, "AI is a field so important that every single day is a golden time, yet under this administration it is being used as a launchpad for by-election candidates."

He added, "Since Senior Secretary Ha previously said he would not run without the president's instruction, this candidacy essentially represents a proxy battle on behalf of the president. Through this election, I will clearly expose the problems of the administration and check the public sentiment."