Presidential Office Demands Han Dong-hoon’s Resignation vs Han "Will Do What Needs to Be Done"... Ruling Party Rift (Comprehensive)

Mrs. Kim's Response to Luxury Handbag Issue and Differences in Nomination Stance

The Presidential Office reportedly conveyed a demand for resignation to Han Dong-hoon, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, on the 21st, sparking widespread controversy.

While the Presidential Office initially tried to defuse the resignation demand rumors by stating, "The issue of Chairman Han's position is not something Yongsan should be involved in," internal cracks within the ruling party are deepening amid expanding conflicts over differences in stance regarding First Lady Kim Geon-hee's luxury handbag allegations and candidate nominations. In an official statement released through the party titled 'Position on Reports Demanding Resignation from the Presidential Office,' Chairman Han dismissed the resignation demand by saying, "I will continue on the path I have shown to the people and do my work," signaling significant repercussions ahead of the general election.

Regarding reports that a senior official from the Presidential Office and ruling party demanded the resignation of Han Dong-hoon, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, the Presidential Office stated, "The issue of Chairman Han's position is not something Yongsan should be involved in." A Presidential Office official responded this way in a phone interview with Asia Economy when asked if the Presidential Office had demanded Chairman Han's resignation.

That afternoon, a media outlet reported that mainstream figures within the ruling party recently demanded Chairman Han's resignation amid nomination controversies. The report also included interpretations from the ruling party suggesting that President Yoon had withdrawn his expectations and support for Chairman Han regarding this situation. The official explained, "Regarding the so-called controversy over withdrawing expectations and trust in Chairman Han, it reflects President Yoon Seok-yeol's strong philosophy on fair and transparent system-based nominations."

Chairman Han stated through a text notice to the People Power Party media that afternoon, responding to such reports, "I will continue on the path I have shown to the people and do my work." The People Power Party conveyed, "This is Chairman Han Dong-hoon's position regarding today's reports about the Presidential Office's resignation demand."

Earlier, on the 17th, Chairman Han surprised many by announcing that Kim Kyung-yul, a People Power Party Emergency Response Committee member, would run for the Mapo-eul district in Seoul, sparking controversy over 'Yoon's heart (Yoonshim)' nominations. At that time, the Presidential Office stated its clear distance from nominations conducted within the party but responded to strategic nominations by saying, "Principles and standards must be established to avoid controversy."

Within the ruling party, the prevailing view is that the controversy expanding to Chairman Han's position stems not only from nomination issues but also from significant differences in stance regarding the response to First Lady Kim's luxury handbag allegations. That day, a media outlet reported that Lee Gwan-seop, Chief of Staff to the President, expressed displeasure to Chairman Han concerning the response to the First Lady's luxury handbag controversy.

This is seen as a reaction to Chairman Han's remarks on the luxury handbag incident, where on the 18th he said, "There are parts that the public may worry about," and on the 19th stated, "It is a matter to consider from the public's perspective," which may have caused discomfort. Some ruling party lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction over Chairman Han's comments on the First Lady's luxury handbag issue, saying, "He is falling into the opposition's framing."

Chairman Han's statement, "I will do my work," was announced less than an hour after a media report emerged that the Presidential Office and ruling party mainstream demanded his resignation, appearing to set up a confrontational stance with the Presidential Office and suggesting considerable repercussions ahead.

In response, the Presidential Office is reiterating the position that there should be no noise through transparent system-based nominations. This is interpreted as a burden over the luxury handbag response issue escalating into a party-government conflict.