Han Donghoon: "I Would Have Stopped Martial Law Even If My Father Did It"...Kim Moonsoo: "Han Should Resign If He Won't Apologize to Yoon"

Kim Moonsoo: "Han Responsible for Early Presidential Election"
Han Donghoon: "Prevented Martial Law for the People"

Kim Moonsoo, former Minister of Employment and Labor and a preliminary candidate for the People Power Party presidential primary, and Han Donghoon, former party leader, clashed over their differing views on the impeachment of former President Yoon Sukyeol. Kim criticized Han for being responsible for the early presidential election, while Han pointed to politicians who failed to correct the president's mistakes as the cause of the martial law.

During the People Power Party's second primary one-on-one debate held at the Channel A studio in Jongno-gu, Seoul on April 24, Kim directly challenged Han, saying, "If Han truly cares about the Republic of Korea, he should apologize for making the impeachment of former President Yoon and the party happen, as it was wrong. Otherwise, he should step down from his candidacy."

On the afternoon of the 24th, at the Dong-A Media Center Channel A Open Studio in Jongno, Kim Moonsoo and Han Donghoon, candidates who advanced to the second round of the People Power Party presidential primary, were having a conversation before the debate. The one-on-one debates will continue until tomorrow in a format where the four candidates advancing to the second round face off one-on-one. The matchups were decided at the 'Media Day' event the previous day, where candidates Kim Moonsoo, Ahn Cheolsoo, Han Donghoon, and Hong Junpyo each selected their one-on-one debate opponents in order. Candidate Kim chose Han, Ahn chose Kim, and Han and Hong chose each other. April 24, 2025 Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

Kim focused his argument on holding Han accountable for the impeachment. He stated, "The root, responsibility, and beginning of having to hold another presidential election all lie with Han. How is Han, who impeached former President Yoon, to whom he was personally close, and concluded that it was an insurrection, any different from Lee Jaemyung, who forcibly admitted his own brother to a psychiatric hospital?"

In response, Han countered, "Even if my father had carried out an illegal martial law, I would have stopped him. The Democratic Party will try to label us as the forces behind martial law, but as the leader of the People Power Party, I will present a future to the people as the force that prevented martial law."

Regarding the 'traitor' label, Han said, "As someone who puts the people first, I took the backlash and stopped martial law. If we had worked together to correct the president's mistakes, it would not have come to martial law."

He added, "I was called a traitor because I tried alone to change former President Yoon's mind. (Kim) seems to think the impeachment was wrong, but with that mindset, you cannot run an election," he criticized.