Another Resurfacing of the 'Han Dong-hoon Party Leader Draft Rumor' Sparks Uproar in the Ruling Party... Criticism Also Arises: "Why Was Lee Jun-seok Ousted?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Joo Ho-young, the floor leader of the People Power Party, mentioned the need for a party leader candidate who can capture the hearts of the 'MZ generation and metropolitan area' support base, reigniting the long-dormant speculation about Han Dong-hoon running for party leader. Within the party, although the possibility of Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon actually being drafted is considered low, there is an atmosphere of anticipation.

◆ Majority Analyze as 'Negative' = Na Kyung-won, Vice Chairperson of the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee and one of the next ruling party leadership candidates, appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the morning of the 6th and said about the speculation of Minister Han being drafted, "From Minister Han's perspective or President Yoon Seok-yeol's perspective, it would be negative," adding, "I also think President Yoon might want to use Minister Han more valuably."

The speculation about Minister Han being drafted first arose around last October when ruling party lawmakers repeatedly mentioned the possibility of Minister Han running in the general election and for party leader. However, after no further remarks, the speculation slightly subsided until it gained momentum again on the 3rd with Floor Leader Joo Ho-young's comments. Leader Joo evaluated the currently mentioned leadership candidates as "unsatisfactory" and cited the support of the MZ generation and metropolitan area as qualifications for the next party leader. It was analyzed that Leader Joo's remarks, made after a private meeting with President Yoon, reflected the 'Yoon's mind (尹心)'.

However, even considering 'Yoon's mind,' politicians from both ruling and opposition parties commonly respond that it would not be easy to draft Minister Han as party leader. Yoon Jae-ok, a three-term lawmaker from Daegu of the People Power Party, responded to related questions at a media forum held in Daegu, saying, "I don't think President Yoon will deeply intervene in the party convention; he will maintain balance." Cho Eung-cheon, a Democratic Party lawmaker, also criticized on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show,' saying, "No matter how urgent it is, a prosecutor president and a prosecutor ruling party leader? We are not a country that came to power through an African military coup."

◆ 'Speculation Raised by the Opposition'... Criticism of "Why Was Lee Jun-seok Ousted?" = There is also an analysis that the 'Han Dong-hoon drafting speculation' is an opposition strategy. Kim Haeng, a member of the People Power Party's Emergency Committee, claimed on SBS Radio's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show,' "The Democratic Party says (if Minister Han becomes party leader), 'Is South Korea a Prosecutor's Republic?' and plans to attack, and they are strategizing accordingly."

Since Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung and other key opposition figures are embroiled in judicial risks, Minister Han's rise as the ruling party leader could provide the opposition with an opportunity to counterattack. Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won and Deputy Director of the Democratic Research Institute Hyun Geun-taek have also previously supported the idea of drafting Minister Han.

However, a closer look at Minister Han's approval ratings reveals some shortcomings in the 'MZ generation's support' aspect, one of the conditions emphasized by Floor Leader Joo. According to a Gallup Korea survey conducted in the first week of December among 1,000 people nationwide aged 18 and older, Minister Han ranked second with 10% support as a political leader to lead the country, following Lee Jae-myung. However, among those aged 18-29, he received only 1% support, lower than Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo (8%), People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo (5%), and even former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok (3%). In the 30s age group, he received 7%, surpassing Ahn's 6%, but it is difficult to say he enjoys high support across the entire MZ generation.

If the expectation was to gain the MZ generation's support, there is criticism that the party should not have ousted former leader Lee Jun-seok, who led the party to victory with the 'young male' wave. Shin In-kyu, head of the People Power Party's Baroseugi faction and a pro-Yoon figure, appeared on BBS Radio that day and criticized, "They reversed the party's winning formula and created a losing formula, and now they worry about the party again and say they need to capture the MZ generation's votes. Where is such hypocrisy? Does it mean that by creating Leader Lee Jun-seok, they took all those (MZ generation) votes? Then they should not have removed such a leader."