[Opinion] The Unfathomable CEO Han Dong-hoon

"Because this is not an issue of illegality or such, it is not appropriate to explain every detail. If there is illegality, it will naturally be thoroughly investigated and the truth will be revealed."

Viewing the matter as "illegal or not" is not politics. That is the realm of the judiciary. No matter how good the intention, if judged solely by the law, it can be illegal. Law is without blood or tears, isn't it? Politics is not the judiciary. Even if something is not illegal, it can still be problematic. Politics is about perception having power. That is why politics is scarier than the law.

On the 21st, Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, gave an explanation during a Q&A with reporters that was uncharacteristic of a politician. It reminded us that he spent most of his life as a prosecutor. The suspicion that posts criticizing President Yoon Seok-yeol and his wife were uploaded on the People Power Party member bulletin board under the names of Han’s family and relatives was raised on the 5th. More than two weeks have passed, but Han only said, "I did not write them," without providing a proper explanation. In fact, this issue is not something worth making a big deal about. It only needs to be confirmed whether Han’s family and relatives actually posted on the member bulletin board. The rest is follow-up action accordingly. Han can find out quickly by asking his family and relatives. If not, then it ends there. If true, he can clarify the circumstances and apologize. Since neither has been done and only time has passed, the issue has grown.

In our politics, when something happens, instead of reflecting, people ask, "Are you clean?" or "Whose side are you on?" As a result, conflicts only escalate. It is enough to make one sick of it. This case is no different. The pro-Han faction interprets it as an attack from the pro-Yoon faction. They say, "Even if family or relatives wrote it, what’s the problem? We need reform, but they are causing trouble." The pro-Yoon faction fiercely attacks the pro-Han faction, saying, "How is Han different from Druking?"

It is true that there are suspicious aspects behind the scenes of this issue. After a conservative-leaning current affairs YouTuber raised the suspicion, pro-Yoon figures such as Kwon Seong-dong and Jang Ye-chan have successively amplified the allegations. But fundamentally, Han’s side gave the opportunity. Hundreds of posts under the names of family and relatives are evidence. It is a trace of an artificial attempt to manipulate public opinion. If Han’s side had no relation, it would have ended long ago, but since it hasn’t, it is common sense to think there is some connection.

What is hard to understand is Han’s response after the issue surfaced. The name of Han’s spouse, lawyer Jin Eun-jung, has already been mentioned in various media. Former Supreme Council member Jang even said, "Lawyer Jin is the mastermind." The public is tired because of the president’s spouse, Mrs. Kim Geon-hee, and now the spouse appears again in this issue. How would the public see this? Yet Han said the reason he did not answer related questions so far was “because during important times such as the sentencing of Lee Jae-myung and livelihood issues, it was judged inappropriate for this issue to overshadow others.” He said, "I thought it was not the time to fall into unnecessary internal strife."

Once trust is lost, everything is lost. How can reform and innovation be achieved without trust? Han should clearly state his position instead of delaying by saying, "Let’s wait for the investigation results." That is the attitude of a responsible politician.