President Yoon, PPP chief Han appear at site of fire in conciliatory move

President Yoon Suk Yeol visited on Tuesday the scene of a large fire that broke out at a traditional market in Seocheon, accompanied by Han Dong-hoon, interim chief of the PPP, in an apparent move to squash speculation of their reported falling out.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon visit the site of a fire at a traditional market in Seocheon County, South Chungcheong, on Tuesday. Their meeting comes two days after the presidential chief of staff called on Han to step down as PPP chief. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Yoon Suk Yeol visited on Tuesday the scene of a large fire that broke out at a traditional market in Seocheon, South Chungcheong, accompanied by Han Dong-hoon, interim chief of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), in an apparent move to squash speculation of their reported falling out.

The two former prosecutors' reunion comes two days after initial reports Sunday of tensions between Han and the presidential office over the former justice minister's handling of allegations of first lady Kim Keon Hee accepting a luxury bag and election nominations.

The market, specializing in marine products, burst into flames at around 11:08 p.m. Monday. Some 361 firefighters and 45 fire engines were dispatched to the scene, and the flames were extinguished after around nine hours at 7:55 a.m. Tuesday.

The blaze burned 227 shops, though no human casualties were reported.

The early reunion between Yoon and Han comes after presidential chief of staff Lee Kwan-sup reportedly met with Han on Sunday and delivered a request for him to step down as chief of the PPP's emergency steering committee.

On Monday, Han doubled down on his determination to continue as PPP's interim chief, vowing to continue his term until after the April 10 general elections.

Political observers pointed out that how Yoon and Han resolve their differences could determine the results of the upcoming parliamentary elections, which are also seen as a midterm evaluation of the five-year Yoon administration.

The PPP had been divided over allegations that Kim received a Christian Dior handbag valued at around 3 million won ($2,240) as a gift from a Korean American pastor in September 2022. This was first reported on Nov. 29 by a liberal YouTube news channel.

The pastor filmed the exchange secretly using a hidden camera, and the YouTube channel that released the footage reportedly provided the bag.

Some PPP members have also criticized Han for supporting a bid by Kim Gyeong-ryul, a member of the PPP's emergency steering committee, to run in Mapo District, western Seoul, against a sitting Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker for the general elections. The presidential office was apparently displeased with Han opting for such a "private" nomination process, ignoring proper procedures.

Kim has been outspoken in calling for an apology from the presidential office and first lady for the handbag controversy.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, greets People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon during a visit to check on the site of a fire at a traditional market in Seocheon, South Chungcheong, on Tuesday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Initially, Yoon had no official schedule planned for Tuesday. He also had no official schedule the previous day, though he had a closed-door meeting with presidential secretaries, skipping out on participating in a public livelihood debate scheduled for Monday morning.

After receiving a report of the blaze's damage, Yoon decided to visit the site in person, according to presidential officials.

Early Tuesday, after receiving initial reports of the blaze, Yoon ordered the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and National Fire Agency to "do their best to extinguish the fire by mobilizing all available manpower and equipment."

Likewise, Han adjusted his original schedule to include a visit to the Seocheon market at a similar time to Yoon, leading to their first in-person meeting since the reports of their clash.

Han arrived at the market first and waited for Yoon's arrival, and the two walked around the scene of the blaze together.

Yoon was spotted patting Han on the shoulder, seen to be a reconciliatory gesture.

Yoon, accompanied by his local and central government officials and Han, was briefed on the damages at the market, according to the presidential office. The president offered his consolation to the merchants for their losses ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday next month and thanked the firefighters who worked to contain the blaze.

Members of the pro-Yoon faction in the PPP reportedly wanted to de-escalate the friction between Han and the presidential office.

As a prosecutor, Han worked alongside Yoon, a former prosecutor general, on tough anticorruption cases. Han, one of the president's most trusted aides, was named Yoon's first justice minister in May 2022 and stepped down from this post on Dec. 26 to become chairman of the PPP's emergency steering committee.

The medium-sized Seocheon traditional market opened in September 2004. It is a two-story building with a total floor area of 7,018 square meters, and it sells marine and agricultural products, household supplies, and other specialty goods.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]