[Reporter’s Notebook] People Power Party’s Self-Sabotage Fuels the Han Ducksoo Draft Theory

"Eighty percent of what made Han Ducksoo who he is today can be attributed to the Democratic Party."

This is what I heard from the leadership of the People Power Party after Han Ducksoo, who was serving as acting president and prime minister, returned to his duties following the Constitutional Court's rejection of his impeachment. Is the so-called "Han Ducksoo Draft Theory" really rooted in the Democratic Party? Is it unrelated to the People Power Party? At the time, the theory gained momentum when Han, during a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, was asked about running for president. Although Han was the target of a series of impeachments initiated by the Democratic Party, his return to office boosted his presence, and his political stature grew as he clashed with the Democratic Party over the nomination of a Constitutional Court justice.

Whether Han will enter the presidential race is the biggest issue in political circles. Han's supporters have even formed a group tentatively named "Han Ducksoo Presidential Candidacy Promotion Committee" and held a press conference urging him to run. Some polls have shown Han ranking second in support, just behind former Democratic Party leader Lee Jaemyung.

The "Han Ducksoo Draft Theory" is directly tied to the dire situation facing the People Power Party. First of all, the party's presidential hopefuls are performing below expectations. Instead of presenting visions or competing on policy, they remain trapped in a dichotomy between opposing and supporting impeachment, squabbling among themselves. They do not hesitate to make personal attacks, such as comments about "height-increasing shoes" or "eyebrow tattoos," only to ensnare themselves. There are even assessments that the People Power Party's primary is less interesting than the Democratic Party's, which has lost public interest due to the dominance of the so-called "Eodaemyung" (inevitable Lee Jaemyung) candidate.

The leadership's search for candidates outside the party also runs counter to efforts to generate excitement in the primary. Is it because there is no clear front-runner? Whenever an outsider expresses interest in meeting, party leaders drop everything to make contact. Emergency committee chair Kwon Youngse has said he would "throw the party's doors wide open," expanding the anti-Lee Jaemyung "big tent" beyond the party itself.

Incumbent lawmakers are busy watching the situation unfold. Most have not decided whom to support and are closely monitoring the shifting landscape. An assembly member representing Busan said, "As long as Han remains a variable rather than a constant, our concerns will persist." Even lawmakers from constituencies with strong conservative support are looking only to outside "mercenaries." Pre-candidates who are actively pursuing a single candidacy with Han, who has not even declared his run, are gaining momentum. It is an unusual situation.

The gap in approval ratings between the People Power Party and the Democratic Party is widening, and the primary candidates are trapped in stagnant support. The anticipated convention effect has disappeared, leaving the party looking only to the period after the primary. Unless the party sincerely apologizes to the public and moves beyond the impeachment crisis, or presents a vision for conservative renewal, even a hundred outsiders joining the party would be of no help. Now is the time for the party to pull itself off the path of self-destruction.