Hong Joon-pyo Criticizes Han Dong-hoon Again, Saying "He Learned Politics Wrong" and Rejects Meeting Request

"Party Members and Citizens Are Not Fools" Emphasized by Hong Joon-pyo
Han Dong-hoon’s Side Says "No Special Position" After Meeting Falls Through

Hong Joon-pyo, the mayor of Daegu, directly criticized Han Dong-hoon, a candidate for the People Power Party leadership, on the 26th, saying, "The first condition for the ruling party leader is to accompany the regime, but to cause trouble from the start shows a poor understanding of politics." Through Facebook on the same day, Mayor Hong stated, "The first condition for the ruling party leader is to accompany the regime and lay the foundation for regaining power," adding, "Causing trouble with clumsy judgment from the start and bullying those who granted nominations or lining up people is a very poor way of learning politics."

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo is meeting and conversing with Won Hee-ryong, former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and a candidate for the People Power Party leadership, at the Sanggyeok Office in Daegu on the 26th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

This is interpreted as a remark targeting former emergency committee member Han, who expressed a conditional acceptance of the 'Special Prosecutor Law for Chae Sang-byeong,' which President Yoon Suk-yeol vetoed (requested reconsideration). Mayor Hong also said, "It seems like just yesterday when people loudly shouted not to let the person responsible for the general election defeat become the floor leader, but now those people are lining up for the main culprit of the election defeat, which is quite a spectacle," emphasizing, "Party members and the public are not fools."

Regarding this, former committee member Han met with reporters at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, in the morning and said about the failed meeting with Mayor Hong, "If he does not want to meet, it would be difficult to see him," adding, "I have no special position." Han's side recently expressed a desire to meet Mayor Hong during a visit to Daegu and Gyeongbuk, but Mayor Hong's side declined citing personal schedule reasons. After meeting with leadership candidates Na Kyung-won and Yoon Sang-hyun in succession, Mayor Hong met with former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong for a conversation on the same day.

Former Emergency Response Committee member and People Power Party leadership candidate Han Dong-hoon is answering questions from reporters on the morning of the 26th at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Former committee member Han said about the current leadership election structure solidifying into a 'pro-Han vs. anti-Han' framework, "I think it is really unfortunate that politicians' personal relationships become factional divisions. What is so important to the public about who is close to whom?" He added, "I do not agree with such aspects, and we should choose to be pro-people, pro-nation, and pro-National Assembly."