Kim Geon-hee and Han Dong-hoon 'Read and Ignore Controversy': Who Will Come Out Smiling?

In January this year, First Lady Kim Geon-hee sent five text messages to Han Dong-hoon, then Emergency Committee Chairman
Controversy over disclosure of related content during the party convention phase
Various speculations abound over the background of the text message disclosure

Kim Geon-hee, the wife of President Yoon Seok-yeol, has become a topic of controversy ahead of the People Power Party's (PPP) leadership election due to text messages she sent in January to Han Dong-hoon, former emergency committee chairman of the PPP and current candidate for party leader. The text messages, in which Kim expressed her intention to publicly apologize regarding the Dior bag controversy, have drawn attention not only for assigning responsibility for the party's crushing defeat in the general election but also for revealing a glimpse of the relationship between President Yoon and candidate Han. While Han's initial response to the controversy was the focus, the issue of how the messages were leaked later became a major point of contention, with expectations that the fallout will affect not only the leadership election results but also the future political landscape. Opposition parties have even voiced concerns about potential divisions within the ruling party.

How Did the Controversy Start?

On the 4th, CBS Radio's "Park Jae-hong's One Match" program reconstructed and revealed text messages Kim sent to Han in January this year. These messages included Kim's expression of apology regarding the Dior bag she received from Pastor Choi Jae-young. According to the reconstructed texts, Kim told Han that she hesitated to apologize because she remembered that apologizing during the presidential campaign had actually lowered approval ratings, but she also conveyed that "if the party deems it necessary, I am willing to accept any punishment, including a public apology to the people," and "I will follow Chairman Han's wishes, so please consider this." The messages were sent via Telegram, and although Han read them, he did not reply, leading to accusations of "read and ignored."

This period was right after Han had assumed the emergency committee chairmanship, and the political atmosphere was turbulent due to the controversy over the luxury bag Kim had received. Within the emergency committee formed by Han, there were discussions about the need for Kim to apologize and take responsibility. As the apology controversy surfaced, Han was even pressured by former presidential chief of staff Lee Gwan-seop to resign from his position. The issue, which escalated into a conflict between the president and the ruling party leader, seemed to be temporarily resolved when President Yoon and Han met at the Seocheon fire site. Political circles believe that the underlying reasons for the conflict between the two, who were known to be close, were revealed through this text message controversy.

Why Did This Issue Become Controversial?

Within the People Power Party, there was hope that the issue related to Kim, which was considered a negative factor ahead of the general election, would be settled. However, Han's refusal to accept Kim's offer to apologize could be interpreted as a failure to fulfill his duties as the election commander. Moreover, Han, who was regarded as the "crown prince" of the administration, had been in the spotlight for his close relationship with President Yoon during processes such as the appointment of the Minister of Justice. Yet, his failure to even respond to Kim's repeated text messages was criticized as a lack of basic human decency. Some even suggested that this amounted to "betrayal."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Candidates Won Hee-ryong and Na Kyung-won, who competed against Han in the primary, launched a full-scale offensive using this issue. Candidate Won criticized, "Regarding the first lady's bag issue, which was a sensitive negative factor in the general election, there was no discussion within the presidential office or the party, and it was ignored without any response," adding, "How much burden did this cause to candidates, losers, supporters, and the president due to the election defeat?" Candidate Na also criticized, saying, "Han seems to be making pathetic excuses continuously," and "Pathetic excuses only make him look worse. This is clearly Han's fault and effectively the act itself."

In response, Han pointed to the timing of the issue surfacing six months after the messages were sent, at the time of the leadership election, suggesting there was an ulterior motive behind it. He said, "It has been six months, and the fact that this content is coming out now is a blatant attempt to prevent me from becoming the party leader," and added, "Much of the content in the messages is not true."

What Are the Key Issues?

Since the full text of the messages Kim sent has not been disclosed, Han and other candidates have differing interpretations of the content. According to media reports, Kim sent messages five times between January 15 and 25, but interpretations of what these messages ultimately meant vary.

Han's camp explains that the messages listed the problems that would arise if an apology were made but concluded with a statement that she would apologize if asked to do so. They interpret this as a subtle way of saying she could not apologize. On the other hand, other candidates and pro-Yoon factions argue that Kim consistently expressed her willingness to apologize but was ignored. They contend that the phrase "even so" indicates that she did express an intention to apologize. They believe Han missed an opportunity to change the atmosphere.

How Far Will the Fallout Spread?

Han claims that "someone" is trying to interfere in the leadership election through Kim's text messages. Pro-Yoon local party chairpersons prepared a press conference calling for Han's withdrawal but later canceled it. Regarding the leaking of the conversation, which existed only in the phone records between the two, there are suspicions that the presidential office and pro-Yoon lawmakers were directly or indirectly involved in the leak. Han's camp also clarified in a notice that "Han has never shown Kim's messages to anyone."

Regarding the controversy, the presidential office stated, "We have not interfered or been involved in any way in the People Power Party leadership election process and will not do so in the future," adding, "We especially ask all candidates and campaign workers to be careful not to involve the presidential office in the election process."

People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jae-seop, in an interview with SBS Radio, interpreted the leak route by saying, "If Han becomes party leader, it is absolutely unacceptable to the anti-Han Dong-hoon faction or one of the pro-Yoon figures," and added, "They are trying to bring down Han or keep raising issues to make him a rallying point for the opposition forces if he is elected."

First Lady Kim Keon-hee Visits the Site of the City Hall Station Disaster

The opposition is closely monitoring the series of conflicts. Park Ji-won, a Democratic Party lawmaker, said in an SBS Radio interview, "This could become a case of state manipulation," and predicted, "It could lead to a split within the ruling party."