Yoon-Han meeting at fire-torn market signals mending ties

President Yoon Suk Yeol (left, front row) and People Power Party's interim leader Han Dong-hoon (right, front row) walk together on Tuesday afternoon at a traditional market in Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province, as they inspected the site of a fire that damaged over 200 stores Monday night. (Yonhap)

President Yoon Suk Yeol and the People Power Party's interim leader Han Dong-hoon met on Tuesday at a traditional market in Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province, signaling their efforts to mend the political rift that stemmed from differing views toward allegations of graft involving first lady Kim Keon Hee and questions about Han's fairness in the candidate nomination process.

Han told reporters at Seoul Station, as he returned to the capital city after the surprise trip, his "deep respect and trust for President Yoon Suk Yeol has never changed."

Han also denied speculations about his souring relationship with Yoon, saying these speculations were just based on "media depiction."

The remarks came as Yoon met Han as they both inspected the site of a fire outbreak in Seocheon Specialty Market on Monday night, where over 200 stores were caught in a blaze in the market that sells marine products. Han had canceled his previous schedule to visit the site, while Yoon came about 20 minutes after Han.

They shook hands upon their encounter. All of the participants at the inspection, including Yoon and Han, returned to Seoul via the official presidential train, according to Yoon's office.

Their meeting in the public eye was the first in a weeks, since they met at the New Year's greeting session at Cheong Wa Dae in early January for the first time since Han entered politics as the interim leader of the ruling party in emergency mode ahead of the upcoming general election in April.

A day before the surprise encounter, Han revealed Monday that he had been asked by the presidential office to resign from the leadership post of the People Power Party, and that he had rejected the offer.

President Yoon Suk Yeol (right) and People Power Party's interim leader Han Dong-hoon shake hands on Tuesday afternoon at a traditional market in Seocheon, South Chungcheong Province, as they inspected the site of a fire that damaged over 200 stores Monday night. (Presidential Office)

Both Yoon and Han had worked as public prosecutors for about two decades, until Yoon, a former prosecutor general, entered politics by declaring his presidential bid in June 2021. Yoon won the election and Han became the first justice minister in Yoon's administration.

Han officially entered politics by taking the leadership post of the People Power Party about 2 1/2 years after Yoon's entry.

Their relationship had shown signs of deterioration, as Han decided to allow Kim Kyung-yul, an accountant and former member of progressive civic group People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, to contend for a parliamentary seat for a constituency in Seoul's Mapo-gu representing the People Power Party, against liberal political bigwig Rep. Jung Chung-rae of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Kim argued in a media interview that first lady Kim Keon Hee "should open up about the allegations" that she had received a luxury bag from his father-in-law's friend, as revealed by the media outlet Voice of Seoul through video footage taken without her knowledge. Han on Thursday said Kim's allegations "had people worried," and he "welcomes diverse viewpoints within the party."

This triggered the ruling party divide, as pro-Yoon lawmakers, including Rep. Lee Chul-gyu and Rep. Lee Yong, countered that the first lady did not need to apologize and labeled her as a victim of illegal filming. The faction also questioned the fairness of the party's nomination process over who to represent it in the forthcoming general election.

Han told reporters Tuesday after his trip to Seocheon that he did not discuss Kim Kyung-yul's parliamentary bid with Yoon. Han's remarks came amid speculations that the flare-up between Yoon and Han had been for show. Lee Jun-seok, chairman of the newly founded New Reform Party and himself a former leader of the People Power Party, described the conflict between Yoon and Han as a "scripted fight."

Meanwhile, some of those affected by the Seocheon Specialty Market fire expressed dissatisfaction, saying Yoon did not console the victims and instead "took photos."

By Son Ji-hyoung(consnow@heraldcorp.com)