[Yoon-Han Conflict Watch] ④ Will Han Dong-hoon Go All the Way or Resign Midway?

Voluntary Resignation and Ethics Committee Referral Scenarios Remain Alive
Hard for Han Dong-hoon Regime to Collapse Ahead of General Election

Han Dong-hoon, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, faces the question of whether he can maintain his position amid conflicts with President Yoon Seok-yeol, who is considered the "living power." Considering the schedule of the general election, it is highly likely that the worst-case scenario of Han stepping down midway will be avoided. However, if the conflict escalates further, additional clashes could lead to an unpredictable situation.

On the 23rd, the biggest political concern is how far the conflict between President Yoon and Chairman Han will extend. Within the ruling party, there is a shared understanding that resolution is the best course. However, since it requires a decision from both President Yoon and Chairman Han, variables remain. Emotional tensions could worsen. Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won predicted the day before that "(Chairman Han) will have no choice but to step down." In such a case, the party could hold a caucus meeting to pressure him into voluntary resignation, and if that fails, they might formally file a complaint with the Ethics Committee to remove him from his duties as Emergency Response Committee Chairman.

However, it currently seems more likely that Chairman Han will hold his position. Above all, it is hard to imagine Han stepping down just 78 days before the general election. The People Power Party has already experienced several abnormal processes, including the expulsion of former leader Lee Jun-seok (currently leader of the Reform New Party) and the resignation of former leader Kim Ki-hyun. If the leadership collapses again ahead of the general election, the election would become a "doomed" situation. On the same day, People Power Party lawmaker Lee Sang-min said on SBS Radio, "If the system steps down or follows the president's will, the real People Power Party cannot exist. It will be shattered."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Preparation for the general election will inevitably be disrupted. People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo said in an interview with CBS Radio, "If Chairman Han resigns, the process of selecting a new Emergency Response Committee Chairman will take place, nominations will be delayed, and as principles are adjusted during this process, people campaigning nationwide ahead of the election will fall into great confusion."

Within the ruling party, regarding the risk related to First Lady Kim Geon-hee, which is cited as a cause of the current conflict, a kind of "apology that is not really an apology" is seen as a solution. Lee Cheol-gyu, head of the People Power Party’s Talent Recruitment Committee, said on KBS Radio about the controversy over First Lady Kim’s receipt of luxury handbags, "There are quite a few people among the public who find this puzzling," and added, "Rather than demanding an apology saying 'this is wrong,' it is understood that Chairman Han suggested a procedure to explain the truth of the hidden camera conspiracy case to the public as a solution." This means using the form of an apology to explain the details of the luxury handbag receipt allegations. When asked by reporters the day before whether there was any change in his stance regarding First Lady Kim, Chairman Han replied, "My position has never changed from the beginning."