[Insight & Opinion] Han Dong-hoon Leadership and the Presidential Community of Fate Theory

Party and Government Must Prioritize Empathy with the People
Han Dong-hoon Vows to Meet "Public Expectations" and Drive Change
Ruling and Opposition Parties Must Overcome Antagonistic Symbiosis

The People Power Party has launched under the leadership of Representative Han Dong-hoon. In his acceptance speech, he emphasized change, the future, and meeting the expectations of the people. Some degree of change seems certain. The party-government symbiotic relationship, which President Yoon Suk-yeol stressed in his congratulatory speech at the party convention, may vary depending on circumstances. They may work together to promote change, or they may become a half-community walking separate paths, or even a community of the past.

The People Power Party lost its self-sustaining power after the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. While seeking change under Representative Lee Jun-seok’s leadership, it became the ruling party when Yoon Suk-yeol, a former prosecutor general enjoying public support, joined and became president. At that time, candidate Yoon viewed the People Power Party as an unsatisfactory party, saying he would join only as a tool for regime change. After taking power, the People Power Party became a traditional Korean ruling party subordinated to the president. Representative Lee Jun-seok was almost removed, and aside from being the ruling party, the party lacked a clear identity and energy. From two months after taking office until now, it has been the ruling party of the Yoon administration, overwhelmingly receiving negative evaluations on government approval ratings.

Nevertheless, it endured amid mutual legal risks with the opposing forces until the 22nd general election. As is well known, the last general election was swept by a wave of regime judgment in a competition between two major disliked forces. The ruling party was isolated as a minority with 108 seats. It became a rare minority ruling party in history with fewer seats than the opposition. With the Democratic Party’s counterattacks on legal risks added, it is more than a simple minority ruling party; it is effectively a divided government.

In this situation, the Han Dong-hoon leadership, pledging change, future, and a competent party, has launched. The most visible change in political forces is reflected in personnel composition. In this regard, new changes after candidate nominations and the general election are inevitably limited. The limitations of the already confirmed minority parliamentary force are also unavoidable. Perhaps the limitations of a minority force compel attempts at change. They might attempt a reorganization of vague conservative ideology or even a fundamental reorganization of party identity such as de-ideologization.

Above all, since the People Power Party is the ruling party, the stance on President Yoon Suk-yeol’s policies and government operation methods is expected to attract attention going forward. This is a change in the party-government relationship. Over the past two years, the People Power Party was completely powerless. Unlike the presidential office, which has a strong governance perspective, the ruling party’s role as a channel for public sentiment was nonexistent. The “people’s expectations” emphasized by Representative Han Dong-hoon is also a reflection on this point.

It is natural for the president to emphasize the party-government symbiotic relationship. However, for the symbiotic relationship to work properly, they must share their respective autonomous roles. This was not the case over the past two years. Before the party-government symbiotic relationship, empathy with the people is the foundation of presidential leadership. But if public empathy is not gained and negative evaluations of government dominate, serious reflection is necessary. Yet the president just bravely went it alone.

In his congratulatory speech, the president criticized the opposition for focusing on political strife while neglecting livelihood and economic policies, but the president also bears great responsibility for not resolving and leaving political strife unattended. If public trust in government operation were high, the opposition’s defensive political strife would not be effective. If government leadership does not renew itself, the lame-duck syndrome in mid-term governance may accelerate.

It is hoped that the Han Dong-hoon leadership will contribute to reforming the worst Korean political situation where two major disliked forces coexist antagonistically. We will watch to see whether the party and government can change together with leadership that meets the people’s expectations and empathy.

Kim Man-heum, Former Director of the National Assembly Legislative Research Office