Han Dong-hoon Says "Disappointing," Lee Jae-myung Silent Despite "Landslide Victory" Forecast... What Lies Ahead for Them?

Emergency Deployment of Han Dong-hoon Amid Election Defeat Challenges
Lee Jae-myung's Rising Status Brings Greater Responsibility on the 'Test Bench'

As the vote counting is underway, with a landslide victory expected for the opposition parties including the Democratic Party of Korea, the expressions of major political leaders sharply diverged.

Han Dong-hoon said "disappointed" after exit poll report

Han Dong-hoon, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, showed a "disappointed" reaction after watching the exit polls of the three major terrestrial broadcasters at the National Assembly situation room in Yeouido, Seoul on the 10th. He self-assessed, "The People Power Party tried to follow the will of the people," and said, "We will watch the election results while observing the people's choice," before leaving the situation room.

Han, who took office as the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party amid the party's crisis at the end of last year, emerged as a keyman in this election phase. Based on his eloquent speech, refined manners, and popular support, Han, who had secured the top spot as the ruling party's next presidential candidate, raised expectations that he would turn around the cold public sentiment confirmed in the Gangseo District Office election and lead the People Power Party to victory in the general election.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, Han faced two dilemmas. One was the issue of securing the conservative base while winning over the centrist voters, and the other was the challenge of differentiating the party without confronting the low-rated president. These ultimately hindered Han's progress.

While presenting the vision of closing the gap in the general election, Han showed signs of being conscious of conservative public opinion by raising issues such as early voting. After withdrawing the nominations of candidates Do Tae-woo and Jang Ye-chan, he faced strong backlash from conservatives. In his relationship with the president, he neither boldly addressed controversies such as Kim Geon-hee's luxury handbag scandal, former Ambassador Lee Jong-seop's departure controversy, and former Presidential Office civil society chief Hwang Sang-moo's verbal misconduct, nor did he defend the president. Ultimately, in this dilemma, the likelihood of him being held responsible for an unprecedented general election defeat increased.

Han's future moves are difficult to predict. It is not easy for him to establish a political foundation as he is unlikely to enter the National Assembly as a proportional representative lawmaker. Moreover, he is not free from responsibility for the election defeat. However, the fact that there is no strong candidate in the People Power Party to oppose Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung except Han still makes it difficult for the party to let go of him.

Lee Jae-myung remained reserved despite 'landslide victory'

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, maintained a calm demeanor despite the forecasted landslide victory, stating, "I will watch until the end with a humble heart." Although the Democratic Party, which initially aimed for a majority of seats, achieved an unprecedented great victory with a number of seats sufficient for constitutional amendment, and the leadership all showed cheers, Lee's composed and reserved attitude was impressive.

Lee, who said he was "more desperate than during the presidential election," became the undisputed top leader within the opposition through this election victory. The Democratic Party was reborn under Lee's leadership through the nomination process and achieved victory in the general election. Lee is expected to launch an offensive against President Yoon, backed by confirmed public sentiment and legislative power.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In particular, to compensate for weaknesses such as the judicial risks related to the Daejang-dong scandal, Lee is expected to put forward the frame that these judicial risks are political retaliation. However, depending on the trial results, his political future could be completely shaken, placing him in a precarious situation.

Moreover, the victory of Cho Guk, leader of the Cho Guk Innovation Party and another winner in this general election, could also be a concern. A competitive dynamic may unfold over clarity and other issues.

The increased political responsibility is also a burden. This is because he is no longer just the leader of the opposition but now holds legislative power. It is of interest how much Lee will escalate his offensive against President Yoon. Whether he will engage in a government struggle demanding President Yoon's resignation or seek coexistence with the government in its third year in power remains to be seen. If he pursues political struggle demanding resignation, there are risks of national governance disruption and the burden of dealing with the aftermath if the struggle fails. If he seeks coexistence, he will inevitably be compared to Cho and have his characteristic 'clarity' questioned.