"If You Like Free Things, You'll Go Bald"... Jang Yechan Targets Han Donghoon, Says "Aiming to Snatch Party Leadership for Free"

Han Donghoon Calls for "Eradicating Old Pro-Yoon Practices" at Campaign Rally
Jang Yechan: "Messages That Hinder Candidate Kim"
"Revealing Intentions to Seize Party Leadership After Presidential Defeat"

Jang Yechan, former Supreme Youth Committee Member of the People Power Party and considered a pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Suk-yeol) figure, criticized former party leader Han Donghoon, who is advocating for the "eradication of old pro-Yoon practices," saying, "If you like free things, you'll go bald." On the 26th, Jang wrote on his social media (SNS), "You became a minister and an emergency committee chair for free, then lied about protecting the president to scam your way into becoming party leader for free, and now it's obvious you want to get party leadership for free after the presidential election. There's an old saying: if you like free things, you'll go bald."

Jang Yechan, former Supreme Youth Committee Member of the People Power Party. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Jang further stated, "The reason (Han) emphasizes messages that hinder candidate Kim at events disguised as support rallies but actually mobilize fan clubs is to induce a presidential election defeat and shift the blame?a calculated move." He added, "This is malicious blame-shifting politics and factional politics." He also commented, "The pro-Han camp cannot stand seeing younger politicians receive attention. It's the same kind of inferiority complex they have toward candidate Lee Junseok. After inducing a presidential defeat, they plan to force out Kim Yongtae, the emergency committee member who suffered without any fault."

Regarding Han's demand that candidate Kim ask floor leader Kwon Seongdong to resign, Jang said, "If there is no emergency committee chair, the floor leader decides either the nomination of the next emergency committee chair or whether to hold a party convention," interpreting this as "In the end, he wants to push his own people and take party leadership for free." He continued, "Calling the primary a scam and refusing to accept its results, while having the weakest head-to-head competitiveness but deluding himself that only he can beat Lee Jaemyung, will be a lasting harm to conservative politics. Candidate Kim should just keep running with the people in mind until the end."

Jang was nominated as the People Power Party candidate for Suyeong District in Busan in last year's general election, but his nomination was revoked after it was revealed that he had made inappropriate remarks on social media about ten years ago. After leaving the People Power Party, he ran as an independent in Suyeong District but was not elected.

However, on the 15th, the People Power Party reinstated Jang as a member. When asked whether Jang's reinstatement, after his nomination was canceled due to controversial remarks, was part of party unity, candidate Kim replied, "Yes," and added, "Many excellent people have grown and developed as politicians in our party, but unfortunately had to leave. I intend to embrace all of them."

Emergency committee chair Kim also said, "I too was attacked a lot by commentator Jang Yechan," but added, "However, I don't think personal feelings are important right now. In the face of a greater cause, we should set aside personal emotions and all work together for the presidential election."

This move has also drawn criticism from the pro-Han camp. Previously, as emergency committee chair last year, Han Donghoon had stated that he would not allow Jang and others to be reinstated. After news of Jang's reinstatement broke, lawmaker Han Jia wrote on social media, "Is this the 'astonishingly rapid change' that (emergency committee chair Kim) talked about?" Former spokesperson Park Sangsoo also posted on social media, "Candidate Kim and emergency committee chair Kim have chosen an election that fights Han Donghoon and once again puts former President Yoon at the forefront."