A dangerous battle between two egomaniacs

The public deeply wishes to see the end of the grievous political episodes starring a hardheaded president and a ruling party leader who confuses his role with that of an opposition leader.

Kim Hyun-kiThe author is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo. Though they don’t bluntly speak their thoughts aloud, the presidential staff are very displeased with People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon. They cannot understand Han’s betrayal considering he was the president’s protégé who was appointed as justice minister and later the head of the governing party ahead of the make-or-break midterm parliamentary elections last April. They fume at Han for pitting himself against the president rather than his opposition rival Lee Jae-myung in what’s seen as an attempt to better his chances for presidency.

The 81-minute slot President Yoon Suk Yeol allowed for a so-called tête-à-tête with Han at the presidential office on Monday reflects how deeply the president resents Han. Yoon made Han stand and wait for 25 minutes, contrasting sharply with his previous plea to PPP lawmakers not to make Han, a political rookie, feel lonely when he was elected to lead the party three months ago. During their stroll, the president cut off Han’s speech short and snapped, “No.” He had his hands in his pockets as he made Han follow along with a group of his closest aides.

The president continued to throw his weight about during the meal by how he seated Han and behaved toward him. After he sent Han away, he summoned PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho, his former finance minister, for a dinner with the presidential staff. The president more or less made it public how much he disapproved of Han.

I was reminded of a quote science writer Chris Mooney wrote in his book “The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Deny Science and Reality” to explore why U.S. conservatives reject reality and facts. “A man with a conviction is a hard man to change,” Mooney wrote. “Tell him you disagree and he turns away. Show him facts or figures and he questions your sources. Appeal to logic and he fails to see your point.”

Han could have been dumbfounded to learn how convinced and protective the president was over his wife. He hurriedly rounded up party members close to him the following evening. He could have felt his seat was threatened. The presidential office is said to be readying to arrange the president’s meeting with Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon, another aspirant for the next presidency.

Han would have only two choices. The first one would be a direct face-off. He could demand the president to surrender his party membership if the presidential office doesn’t come up with sufficient action to appease public sentiment on issues related to the first lady before the court delivers the first ruling on Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung on Nov. 15. Han could collude with his DP counterpart to package a new motion to enable a special counsel probe on the affairs of first lady Kim Keon Hee and test the waters within his party through an internal online vote. Lee could be ready to give Han what he needs most.

The other option for Han would be moderating his pace to build up his support base. After the legislature is done with its budgetary review in December, lawmakers need not mind the president or the government until the local elections in 2026. He could steal support from the conservative front through persistent appeals. But both options may backfire if conservative voters are displeased with him as well.

Yoon’s sense of resentment towards Han is partly understandable. Han did accept Lee’s proposal of a meeting just hours before he was to meet the president. Yoon’s protectiveness of his wife is also fathomable. He could be under great stress and affliction. But the people are also under immense stress due to his wife. The president must differentiate his feelings for his wife from his duties to deal with the social commotions she had stirred. The people are enraged because they have seen no action from the president.

The president told the PPP leader that “it can’t be helped” if PPP lawmakers choose to betray the president to back the bill to launch a special probe on the first lady. It can’t be helped indeed, but the president himself would be bringing about the sad consequence. The public deeply wishes to see the end of the grievous political episodes starring a hardheaded president and a ruling party leader who confuses his role with that of an opposition leader.

Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.