Handonghun Urges Lee Jaemyung for "Livelihood Cooperation"... Moves to Secure Policy Leadership

Request for Discussion on Urgent Livelihood Issues Including Financial Investment Tax
South Korea Emphasizes Livelihood Policies at Previous Day's High-Level Party-Government Meeting

Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, urged cooperation for people’s livelihood to Lee Jae-myung, who succeeded in his re-election as leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. Although it was a customary congratulatory message for the election victory, it is interpreted that Han, who became party leader first, is trying to secure leadership in livelihood policies against Lee, who is considered a potential rival in the next presidential race.

According to political circles on the 19th, Han posted a message titled "Congratulations to Leader Lee of the Democratic Party on his election" on Facebook the day after the Democratic Party’s leadership election, stating, "There is no distinction between ruling and opposition parties when it comes to people’s livelihood," and "I want to engage in politics of grand cooperation for people’s livelihood together with Leader Lee."

After the opening of the 22nd National Assembly, with the opposition submitting impeachment and other political bills, the ruling party’s unlimited debate (filibuster), and the opposition’s legislative enforcement becoming official, the tense parliamentary situation is interpreted as Han, who became party leader about a month earlier, aiming to lead a cooperative atmosphere through livelihood legislation.

Han emphasized the abolition of the financial investment income tax, a livelihood policy he has stressed since the People Power Party leadership election, saying, "I will meet soon to discuss many urgent livelihood issues." Earlier, Leader Lee also declared his bid for re-election and voiced differentiated positions from the existing Democratic Party policies, such as easing the comprehensive real estate tax (종부세) and financial investment income tax, suggesting that discussions between the two leaders are possible.

Handonghun, the leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 29th. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

Moreover, unlike Leader Lee, Han, who is an out-of-parliament figure, repeatedly emphasizes the one-team approach between the government and the ruling party while stressing livelihood policies. Although he cannot directly propose bills as he is not a member of the National Assembly, this appears to be a strategic move to actively exert influence on policies related to the party and government.

Han held a high-level party-government consultative meeting for the first time since his inauguration at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, the day before, and pledged, "The strength of the government and ruling party lies in the synergy that can be created when administrative power and politics are combined. It is time to demonstrate that synergy in people’s livelihood and show our capabilities," promising to do his best to make the party-government meeting function as a control tower for livelihood.

In particular, he emphasized, "I believe the public feels great fatigue from the opposition’s repeated impeachment and special prosecutor offensives as if they were ordinary daily occurrences," and "We must firmly confront such offensives, but now the real battlefield where the public will evaluate the government and ruling party will be livelihood policies."

Lee Jae-myung, the elected leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is greeting party members after delivering his acceptance speech at the "2024 Democratic Party of Korea 1st Regular National Party Members' Convention" held on the 18th at KSPO Dome, Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@