Ex-leader of the People Power Party Han Dong-hoon debunks 'hurtful rumor' that he is pro-China
Han Dong-hoon, the former People Power Party leader and one of the conservative party's potential presidential candidates, placed blame on suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol as well as main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Chair Rep. Lee Jae-myung for what he called the rise of "politics of extremism."
In an apparent jab at both Yoon, with whom he had worked closely for years, and the Democratic Party leader, Han said extremism was "taking a dangerous turn" in South Korean politics, at a book launch widely seen as an event marking his political return after a brief hiatus.
Han said the Democratic Party under Lee's leadership filed impeachment resolutions against Yoon's Cabinet members and senior officials 29 times over the past two years and Yoon tried to impose martial law on the country, referring to the cases as examples of exposing the weakness of the Constitution, according to him.
"Both of these things are not prohibited under the current Constitution. Before now, we did not dream of going to these extremes," Han said. "We had trust that our leaders would not test the limits of the Constitution. That trust has now been broken."
Han said revising the Constitution, last amended in 1987, was necessary to build a politics of accountability. "People losing trust in whether our leader will uphold the principles of democracy and justice" is the "biggest threat" facing the country, he said.
Han was speaking at an event for his new book in Hongdae, the area surrounding Hongik University in western Seoul, in one of his first public appearances since his resignation as the People Power Party's leader on Dec. 16, 2024.
Han was clad casually in a sweater and sneakers, departing from the suit and tie seen during his days as the ruling party's chair. The audience, mainly consisting of his supporters, cheered and chanted "Han Dong-hoon" as the former ruling party leader appeared on the stage of an auditorium large enough to house about 200 people.
Han said "hurtful rumors" were "running unchecked," specificially referring to one claiming that he is pro-China.
"When I first heard that there were rumors that I was a pro-China politician, I didn't think anyone would believe it given my track record," he said, citing policies he pursued while he helmed the People Power Party.
"Let me remind you that when I was the party's leader, I consistently called for broadening the punishable scope of foreign espionage to include Chinese spies," he said.
"I also called for extending voting rights to noncitizens based on the principle of reciprocity," Han said, explaining that the vast majority of noncitizen voters in Korea are Chinese nationals.
He argued that Lee, the clear front-runner to be the Democratic Party of Korea's presidential nominee, is "the most dangerous man in Korea at the moment," citing Lee's legal cases.
"People are worried about Lee possibly trying to avoid accountability for his legal troubles if he becomes president," he said. Han named the "mounting sense of crisis" to be one of the driving forces behind the competing rallies for and against Yoon's impeachment taking place across the country every week.
"I think there is this sense of crisis running through a lot of people that if we continue on this path, we could have a dangerous regime run by a dangerous person," according to him.
Fifteen lawmakers of the People Power Party ― known as the party's fringe "pro-Han" faction ― attended Han's book talk on Wednesday. They are: Reps. Kim Tae-ho, Bae Hyun-jin, Kim Yea-ji, Park Jeong-ha, Ahn Sang-hoon, Park Jeong-hun, Han Zee-a, Jin Jong-oh, Jung Sung-gook, Jung Yeon-wook, Kim Sang-wook, Kim So-hee, Kwak Kyu-taek, Koh Dong-jin and Woo Jae-jun.
Han's book tells the story of his last 14 days as the chair of the People Power Party since Yoon's botched martial law declaration on Dec. 3. He stepped down as the party's chair on Dec. 16 to take responsibility for the actions of the president and his impeachment in a National Assembly vote, which the Constitutional Court is deliberating on whether to uphold.
In the book, Han defends his decision to back the passage of the Assembly's resolution to impeach Yoon as a "decision to save the conservative party, and the country's economy and security."
In a bid to appeal to young people, Han is slated to speak at a forum for university students organized by the student councils of eight universities on Thursday in Sinchon, a university area in Seoul.
Han's foray into politics was as the interim chair of the People Power Party, to lead the party to victory through the final few months leading to the April 2024 election for the National Assembly. He was Yoon's justice minister before he was made the party's interim chair, and a prosecutor before that. He was elected the People Power Party's chair again in the party convention in July 2024.
arin@heraldcorp.com
