Internal Discord in the Party Member Bulletin Board... Likely to Continue Until the Vote on the 'Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act'

"Fact Verification" vs "Not a Controversial Issue"

The internal conflict within the People Power Party is spreading amid controversy over the party member bulletin board. While Han Dong-hoon, the party leader of the People Power Party, is not receiving much attention for his policy moves, the controversy is expected to continue for the time being.

Voices from both inside and outside the party call for Leader Han to resolve the issue directly. A re-elected lawmaker from the TK (Daegu·Gyeongbuk) region said in a phone call that day, "The facts need to be clarified quickly," and pointed out, "The very appearance of publicly fighting is unsightly and embarrassing to supporters." He added, "Leader Han must clarify the facts to prevent further controversy. This is not a situation to be fighting like this."

Handonghun, the leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the 'People Power Party Freshman Lawmakers Study Group Fourth Session - Local Era, Sustainable Growth Engine of the Republic of Korea' held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 26th. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo also said on KBS Radio that day, "The only solution is for Leader Han to hold a press conference and clearly, honestly, and objectively disclose the facts discovered so far, and then provide appropriate explanations and take measures accordingly." He added, "If it was caused by hacking, then we apologize for not properly handling it. Or if it is related to someone well known, it is right to scold that person severely and apologize, promising that such a thing will never happen again."

However, Leader Han’s side is reportedly not willing to apologize for the party member bulletin board controversy at all. A pro-Han lawmaker said in a phone call, "Is this even something to apologize for?" and added, "It is childish and absurd to be talking about this at such an important time." He continued, "Is this really an important issue? The party is dancing to the prank of a malicious namesake." Lawmaker Joo Jin-woo also countered on SBS Radio that day, "Can public opinion be manipulated with 2 or 3 comments out of about 1,000 to 3,000 comments?"

Meanwhile, Floor Leader Choo Kyung-ho told reporters, "I saw reports that senior lawmakers with three terms asked me to quickly resolve the party member bulletin board issue during a meeting, but the three-term lawmakers have never gathered opinions or discussed it." A People Power Party official predicted, "The controversy seems likely to continue until the plenary vote on the 10th of next month," adding, "The tension between the pro-Han and pro-Yoon factions will continue over the special prosecutor law."