Ruling party’s leader should convey public anger to President and seeks answers[Editorial]

Han Dong-hoon (right), the leader of the People\'s Power Party, speaks at a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on September 23. Yonhap News

President Yun Suk-yeol and the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) leadership will hold a dinner meeting in Yongsan, Seoul on September 24. PPP leader Han Dong-hoon had requested a private meeting with Yoon to discuss pending issues in depth, but the presidential office denied the request on the 23rd. The presidential office even downplayed the significance of the meeting, saying it was to “encourage the new leadership.” It is questionable whether the presidential office realizes the gravity of the meeting, which has drawn the attention of an angry and anxious public. Whether or not he meets the president alone, Han should properly convey the angry public sentiment and end the state administration of dogmatism and lack of communication, as he said in a recent media interview.

The meeting was originally scheduled for August 30, but was abruptly postponed after Han revealed a different solution to the medical-political conflict than the government. Once again, the presidential office rejected Han's request for a one-on-one meeting, saying it was a matter for “further discussion,” only highlighting the lack of smooth ruling party-government relationship. There are also rumors that Yoon was unhappy that his trip to the Czech Republic was overshadowed by the controversy of a one-on-one meeting. The presidential office's perception that the national situation was not urgent enough for a meeting between the president and the ruling party leader to be consumed by an emotional argument when national issues should have been prioritized. They are so stupid and arrogant that they cannot even accept the request of a private meeting by the ruling party's leader, let alone by the oppositions’ leaders, so the people cannot help but lose trust.

Yoon and Han must decide with a sense of urgency like never before. Han must realize that the current state of emergency cannot be resolved by vacillating between the public and Yoon, as he has been doing by delaying the promise of the special counsel investigation act on Marine Corps Corporal Chae. As the 20 percent national approval rating indicates, the public sentiment is already at the level of “psychological impeachment.” The ruling party needs to convey the public sentiment strongly and bring about change. Yoon is also in no position to insist that “the direction of national affairs is right.” If he loses public trust any further, he will face difficulties in running state administration on a daily basis, let alone reforming the nation's four major reforms.

There are two things the ruling party and the government need to find answers right now. The first is the risk of First Lady Kim Keon-hee and the second is how to resolve the medical-political conflict. Kim has a long list of scandals to explain and apologize for, including the luxury bag scandal, her involvement in manipulating the stock price of Deutsch Motors, and her interference in the nomination of by-elections, but her public appearances as if nothing had happened have only increased public anger. The healthcare crisis is also growing more serious every day, but the government is dismissing it as “pains for reform.” The government has neglected the fact that healthcare is not just a matter of reform or anti-reform, but a matter directly related to people's lives.

Yoon and Han should realize that this meeting may be their last chance. I hope that it will be a turning point for the ruling party and the government in overcoming the difficulties of people's livelihoods and the tight political situation. They owe it to the people who are living in fear every day.

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