Ruling party mired in mud ahead of party leader election

A banner for the opening of the 22nd National Assembly is removed from the main building of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on July 7. The opening ceremony of the 22nd National Assembly, which was originally scheduled for July 5, was postponed indefinitely in the wake of a clash between the ruling and opposition parties over the handling of a bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the death of Marine Corporal Chae Su-geun. Yonhap News Agency

It came down to the wire. The race for the leadership of the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) is turning into a mud fight as candidate Han Dong-hoon's controversy over ignoring a text message from first lady Kim Keon-hee continues. Han responded head-on, labeling the petition calling for his resignation as outdated. Rival candidates pressed for Han's resignation, citing the responsibility for the crushing defeat of the general election and "the behavior that shakes the president.” Some predict that as the controversy over Kim's interference in the party's election grows, there will be a backlash against the side that disclosed the text message.

"Some politicians, including election commissioners, are preparing for a press conference to demand my resignation this afternoon because I asked for an apology publicly, not through a private channel," Han said on his social media account on July 7, adding, "Some say they will disqualify me from being a candidate through the ethics committee." He also said, "Please don't cancel the petition because of bad public opinion and just do it like last time. I will overcome the old fashioned petition. I will change together with my party comrades and the people."

According to multiple political insiders, some out-of-town party council chairpersons have been calling on party members to join the call for Han’s resignation since July 6, saying he ignored a text message saying the first lady would apologize during the last general election when Han was interim party leader, which caused the party to lose the election. In the group chat room of the chairpersons, about 10 people wrote messages criticizing the petition.

A press conference to call for Han’s resignation, scheduled for 3 p.m. on the day, was canceled as criticism from within the party mounted. The fact that Han warned of a stern response to the petition, saying it was "the epitome of old-fashioned politics, such as lining up lines,” may have had an impact. Park Jong-jin, a member of the PPP’s election committee, who reportedly asked for the party members' intention to participate in the petition, offered his resignation, saying, "It came out while having dinner. I apologize for that."

Rival candidates stepped up the pressure on Han. On social media, candidate Won Hee-ryong said, "Han is trying to make the controversy over Kim’s text message into an intervention in the party convention," adding, "The act of bringing the presidential office into the convention to cover up his misdeeds is an act that divides the party and shakes the president." Candidate Yoon Sang-hyun also warned on social media, "If you involve the presidential office in the convention again, the relationship between the party and the president will be over."

Candidate Na Kyung-won targeted candidates Han and Won respectively on social media, saying, "They are irresponsible amateurs who even lost the first lady’s opportunity to apologize while clumsily arguing over whether it is official or unofficial,” and "reckless avatars that divide the party and cause backlash."

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.