Han Dong-hoon returns as ruling party leader 3 months after resigning due to defeat in general election

by times news cr

2024-07-24 11:09:41

“Bottom of the 9th, two outs” Ruling party’s non-standing leader appears on the mound
Became party leader just 7 months after entering politics
Aiming at the Wild: “We will go through the storm and into the future”
Lee Jae-myung: “We will definitely cooperate”

Han Dong-hoon, the new leader of the People Power Party, is giving an acceptance speech at the 4th National Convention of the People Power Party held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province on the 23rd. 2024.7.23. Photo Joint Press Corps

“I will not let anyone say (the People Power Party) is protecting itself or calling itself a welfare party. I will become a storm and lead you (party members).”

Han Dong-hoon, the People Power Party leader who was elected with an overwhelming 62.84% of the votes at the party’s national convention on the 23rd, emphasized this in his inaugural address. Han, who was elected as the ruling party leader just seven months after entering politics, met with reporters and emphasized, “There was a time when the ruling party was a minority party and did good politics and achieved results, and that was when the ruling party was on the same side as the public sentiment.”

Representative Han emphasized “public sentiment” several times in his acceptance speech that day. He said, “There is no politics that can overcome public sentiment. We should not fight against public sentiment, but be on the same side.” He added, “The huge opposition party is running wild at an unprecedented rate in history, but the public sentiment is not restraining it because we are not doing politics that meet the public’s expectations.” While explaining the relationship between the ruling and opposition parties, Representative Han said, “Let’s accurately grasp public sentiment, and let’s react when the time is right,” and “Let’s ride the wave of public sentiment.”

He also promised to stand at the forefront of the front line against the opposition party. Representative Han emphasized, “We will go forward into the future through the storm,” and “As long as I am the party leader, I will not put you in front of the storm.” In his speech, Representative Han said, “I will prioritize the implementation of the most urgent policies for the people’s livelihood, such as the abolition of the Financial Investment Income Tax (FIT).” Immediately after being elected, Representative Han said, “Former Representative Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea also made a mistake, but we must narrow the differences with the opposition party on the abolition of the FIT and the comprehensive real estate tax and pass them, thus taking the first step toward solving the people’s livelihood issues.”

One representative also said that he would push for a revision to the law to give up the immunity from arrest for National Assembly members, which he had pledged to do during the general election, and to reduce the number of National Assembly members from 300 to 250.

The relationship between Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung and the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, Cho Kuk, who are facing off again just three months after the general election, is also drawing attention. In February and September of last year, as the Minister of Justice, Han reported at length on the necessity of arresting then-representative Lee Jae-myung at the National Assembly plenary session. The arrest motion he reported in September of last year was passed by the National Assembly, but the arrest warrant was rejected by the court. Since his days as minister, he has exchanged harsh words with opposition party members, and he has developed a fandom among conservative supporters. Lee congratulated him, saying, “If it is something that can change a desperate reality into a hopeful tomorrow, I and the Democratic Party will definitely cooperate.” Han and Cho have a bad relationship, having led the investigation into corruption of Cho’s family when he was the head of the Anti-Corruption and Violent Crimes Division at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.

Representative Han accepted the position of party emergency committee chairman on December 21st last year, saying, “If there are two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the ninth, you should swing without regret even if the desired pitch does not come.” Representative Han, who led the April 10th general election for 108 days, resigned after the crushing defeat to the Democratic Party. He declared his candidacy for the party leadership election on the 23rd of last month, and became the ruling party leader three months after resigning.


Goyang = Reporter Kim Seong-mo [email protected]

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2024-07-24 11:09:41

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