Hong Joonpyo Directly Targets Both Yoon and Han: "A Day of Judgment for Two Political Prosecutors"

People Power Party Ethics Committee Expels Han Donghoon over "Party Bulletin Board Scandal"
"Subordinates Must Follow the Principal's Will" ? Calls to Purge Han's Faction

Hong Joonpyo, former Mayor of Daegu, has launched a scathing attack targeting both former President Yoon Sukyeol and former People Power Party leader Han Donghoon. This comes immediately after the announcement of a death sentence recommendation for former President Yoon and the party expulsion decision for former leader Han. On January 14, Hong stated via social media, "Last night was the day when two political prosecutors, who have thrown the country into chaos and driven the Korean conservative camp to ruin over the past four years, were both held accountable at the same time," directly criticizing both individuals. He pointed out, "One received a death sentence recommendation for illegal martial law, and the other was expelled from the party for a despicable and disgraceful incident involving the party member bulletin board."

Hong Joonpyo, Former Mayor of Daegu. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Previously, the special prosecutor's team for insurrection requested the first trial court to sentence former President Yoon Sukyeol to death for his alleged role as the ringleader in the 12·3 illegal martial law case. On the same night, the People Power Party's Central Ethics Committee decided to expel former leader Han Donghoon over the party member bulletin board allegations. In response, Hong Joonpyo remarked, "The past four years, during which these two political prosecutors staged brawls and created chaos, have truly been a time of confusion." He continued, "A subordinate follows the will of the principal; Han Donghoon is Yoon Sukyeol's subordinate, and Han Donghoon's clique are his subordinates." He further urged, "Expulsion is not the end-sweep out the remaining remnants as well and start anew." He emphasized, "You cannot rebuild the party with people who treat corruption and betrayal as everyday affairs," adding, "This is not the 'politics of subtraction' that some conservative media talk about, but rather politics that clears away a wrongful past."

The previous night, upon hearing news of the death sentence recommendation for former President Yoon, Hong Joonpyo had also commented, "Power that lacks just cause and proportional means always meets a tragic end," and pointed out, "I warned of impeachment two months before the martial law, yet now a fifth conservative president is headed to prison." All three-former President Yoon, former leader Han, and Hong Joonpyo-are former prosecutors, and Hong has maintained a political rivalry with them. In the 2021 People Power Party presidential primary, he competed against Yoon Sukyeol, and in last year's primary, he ran against Han Donghoon. Meanwhile, Hong Joonpyo previously served as leader of the Liberty Korea Party, the predecessor to the People Power Party. After failing to secure the party's nomination in the April presidential primary last year, he left the party and announced his retirement from politics.