'From Yoon's Death Sentence to Han's Expulsion'... Political Circles Say "The Era of Political Prosecutors Is Ending After Four Years"

Cho Kuk: "Key Figures of the Prosecutorial Coup Held Accountable"
Democratic Party: "People Power Party Sides with Martial Law Forces"
Hong Joonpyo: "Four Years of Turmoil Have Ended"

Following former President Yoon Seok-yeol being sentenced to death, and coincidentally, former People Power Party leader Han Donghoon being expelled from his own party, the political sphere responded with complex reactions, recalling the close relationship the two once shared.

Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, stated on social media on January 14, "Han Donghoon, who was a key figure in the 2019 prosecutorial coup as Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's closest aide, and who served as the first Minister of Justice in the Yoon administration-effectively the crown prince and 'little president' of the Yoon regime-has now been expelled from the People Power Party for mobilizing his family to post slanderous messages against Yoon Seok-yeol and Kim Keon-hee on the party's online bulletin board amid internal power struggles with Yoon and Kim." He added, "They have now embarked on a path of mutual downfall." The phrase "mutual downfall" means collapsing and failing together. Regarding Han, Cho emphasized, "We must not forget that he was the very person who, as Minister of Justice, undermined prosecutorial reform laws using technicalities, and that he was the top commander of targeted investigations against figures from the democratic reform camp, including Moon Jae-in and Lee Jae-myung." Cho also made it clear he had no intention of expressing sympathy for the People Power Party Ethics Committee's abrupt expulsion process.

Former President Yoon Seok-yeol, who was indicted on charges of being the ringleader of the December 3 emergency martial law-related rebellion, is delivering his final statement at the conclusion of the trial on the charge of being the ringleader of the rebellion, held on the 13th at Criminal Courtroom 417 of the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Kwon Chilseung, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party, also commented on social media regarding Han's expulsion, saying, "The internal conflicts that have been brewing within the People Power Party will now erupt outward in earnest," and added, "I hope that Han Donghoon, who has served Yoon Seok-yeol all his life, will quietly disappear along with him." Regarding Han's characterization of his expulsion as "another form of martial law," Kwon remarked, "I know he tends to exaggerate, but this level of shamelessness is astonishing," and further stated, "I hope Han Donghoon will stop making appearances at the National Assembly just because he happened to be there on December 3, the day of martial law."

Lee Sangheon, another Democratic Party lawmaker, commented, "Last night, I went to bed after hearing about Yoon Seok-yeol's death sentence, and when I woke up this morning, Han Donghoon's political career was over."

Within the Democratic Party, some criticized the direction of the People Power Party, noting the sequence of Yoon's death sentence followed by the expulsion of Han, who had opposed emergency martial law. Park Changjin, senior deputy spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said, "The People Power Party has made its position clear by remaining silent on the death sentence for the ringleader of the rebellion, while expelling someone who supported the lifting of martial law," and criticized, "They have chosen not to defend the constitutional democratic order, but instead to side with the illegal emergency martial law faction."

Former People Power Party leader Han Donghoon is leaving the press conference room after expressing his position regarding the party's Ethics Committee's decision to expel him at the National Assembly Communication Office on January 14, 2026. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Hong Joonpyo, a prominent conservative figure and former mayor of Daegu, commented, "Last night became the day when the 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." He added, "The past four years of turmoil, with these two political prosecutors engaging in brawls and causing disruption, were truly chaotic times." Citing Article 100, Paragraph 2 of the Civil Code, which states, "An accessory follows the disposition of the principal," Hong harshly criticized, "Han Donghoon is nothing more than an accessory to Yoon Seok-yeol, and Han's clique are merely accessories to Han Donghoon."