Yoo Seung-min: "Han Dong-hoon, if you have political ambitions, resign and enter politics"

"Feels like Han Dong-hoon is coming to the National Assembly to fight"
"Draft theory is not right... Support base overlaps with Yoon"

Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, one of the conservative presidential candidates, evaluated Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon's remarks in the National Assembly as "seeming to make very political statements" and directly criticized him by saying, "If he intends to engage in politics, it would be appropriate for him to resign early and then enter politics."

On the 28th, Yoo said on KBS's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strong Current Affairs,' "Well, President Yoon Seok-yeol did the same, so if he is thinking about politics now, then it is right for him to resign quickly."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the Democratic Party of Korea's impeachment proposal against Minister Han following the Constitutional Court's ruling validating the 'complete removal of prosecution's investigative authority' (검수완박), Yoo said, "It is not right to overuse impeachment. The issue did not arise because the Minister of Justice committed any illegal or unlawful acts," but he also criticized Minister Han's attitude by saying, "When the Minister of Justice comes to the National Assembly, it feels like he is coming to fight."

Yoo said, "(Minister Han) always does doorstepping like this, which provokes the Democratic Party," adding, "In my view, Democratic Party lawmakers seem somewhat foolish to get caught up in the Minister of Justice's fights repeatedly, but I hope they remain calm and focus on standing committees in the National Assembly."

Despite being a public official, Minister Han is highly popular, ranking second in the next presidential candidate opinion polls. With the general election about a year away, there is even talk within the People Power Party about 'drafting Han Dong-hoon.' Park Soo-young, head of the Yeouido Institute, referred to him as a 'celebrity.' Yoo responded, "The Minister of Justice is making political statements, and the ruling party is mixing that into politics, which I think is inappropriate to have such remarks already coming out. The Minister of Justice is a minister of the executive branch and a member of the State Council with duties to fulfill, and he should be 100% devoted to those. However, it is also his freedom to engage in politics."

However, Yoo was skeptical that Minister Han would lead the party to victory in the general election. He said, "His support base overlaps significantly with President Yoon's," adding, "Ultimately, the general election is about who can capture the centrist, young voters, and the sentiment in the metropolitan area, and I am not sure about that."

He also criticized the new leadership's party appointments. Yoo said, "Look at the lineup of the party leader and Supreme Council members chosen by 100% party members at the party convention," adding, "As I said, it has become 100% President Yoon Seok-yeol's personal party. A symbolic scene was our new party leader giving a 90-degree folder bow to the president."

Regarding Kim Jae-won's remarks on the May 18 Democratic Uprising, Yoo said, "After the People Power Party disciplined former leader Lee Jun-seok, it seems like the party's ethics committee has disappeared," adding, "Comments like those on May 18 have had a significant negative impact on public sentiment toward the party, so disciplinary action should naturally be taken. But it passes without any action."

Yoo said, "After seeing the appointments, it became clear through this party convention process how far the '100% party members' are from public sentiment," and expressed concern, "I am very worried whether the current leadership can really lead the party to victory in the general election."

Having decided not to run in the party convention to elect the party leader, he said, "I am looking at this with a very long-term perspective," adding, "Ultimately, the support of the people for me and reform conservatism will be important. If that support exists, I am confident that both I and my reform conservative comrades will have a chance to play a role."