"Like Giving the Country Away to Lee Jae-myung"
Daegu Mayor Hong Jun-pyo expressed indignation on the 16th, saying, "The main culprits who ruined the general election are gathering in groups of three or five, causing such a commotion as they aim for party leadership, making the party shameless and absurd." This was read as discomfort toward former Emergency Committee Chairman Han Dong-hoon, who is a strong contender for the party leadership.
On the same day, Mayor Hong wrote on Facebook, "If we ruin the general election and the local elections, can we recreate the next administration?" and pointed out, "Isn't it just handing the country over to Lee Jae-myung?" He also criticized, "The main culprits who ruined the general election and turned the National Assembly into a mess, while the Yoon administration is struggling, should be refraining from acting out, but they are rampaging like that, making the future of the conservative government truly bleak."
Former Chairman Han is known to have recently met with close allies both inside and outside the National Assembly, leading to speculation that his challenge for party leadership is entering the final countdown. He is reportedly forming a campaign team to prepare for the party convention. Jeong Seong-guk, a lawmaker and Han’s first recruited talent, also said, "Han Dong-hoon's time will come soon."
Voices to 'Check Han Dong-hoon' within the People Power Party
Within the party, criticism of former Chairman Han’s candidacy is growing. Na Kyung-won, a People Power Party lawmaker, responded to the question, "What kind of person do you think should come as a party leader candidate?" by saying, "It is necessary to strongly concentrate all the party’s energy while also responsibly negotiating with the Democratic Party when needed." She added, "In the case of an outsider (party leader), I think there might be various difficulties in that regard." This can be interpreted as a remark targeting former Chairman Han, who is not a current lawmaker.
Lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun also wrote on Facebook that day, "Someone who took responsibility for the general election defeat and resigned is now saying they want to come back to that position," and argued, "Then why did you resign? The logic that taking the party leadership is a responsible attitude is a Democratic Party-style sophistry."
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