President Yoon Seok-yeol is scheduled to meet alone with People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon as early as this week. In particular, the extent to which President Yoon will accept First Lady Kim Kun-hee’s risk-relief plan requested by Representative Han is expected to be a key factor in determining the success or failure of the independent government. However, as Representative Han continues to make statements that seem to put pressure on the President’s Office, there is a possibility that the private meeting itself may be canceled.
According to the President’s Office on the 14th, the President’s Office discussed the private meeting the previous day at a meeting of senior secretaries chaired by the Chief of Staff. In a phone call with News 1, an official from the President’s Office briefly stated, “There is no change in the official position” regarding the schedule for the private meeting and whether the agenda will be coordinated. Previously, the President’s Office announced on the 10th that President Yoon and Representative Han decided to hold a private meeting after the October 16 by-elections.
Initially, the President’s Office showed a negative attitude toward Representative Han’s request for a private meeting. However, as the controversy over political broker Myeong Tae-gyun spread throughout the ruling party and a sense of crisis heightened, the request for a separate meeting was suddenly accepted. However, as the intensity of Representative Han’s remarks toward the President’s Office has recently increased, there are concerns that the independent alliance may be falling apart.
On the 12th, Representative Han effectively publicly criticized the President’s Office and Mrs. Kim, saying, “To end suspicions of Mrs. Kim’s secret affairs, personnel reform of the President’s Office is necessary.” Following his statement on the 9th that Ms. Kim should refrain from public activities, he stated on the 10th that “the prosecution must present investigation results that the public can understand,” raising the level even further.
Representative Han’s remarks are interpreted as a strategy to differentiate himself from the president by being aware of public sentiment ahead of the by-election, while simultaneously strengthening his own political position.
Analysis suggests that this is unrelated to the fact that President Yoon’s approval rating in recent public opinion polls has repeatedly hit its lowest point since he took office. In a Gallup Korea survey conducted in the second week of September, the positive evaluation was only 20%, while the negative evaluation reached 70%. The National Index Survey (NBS) in the 2nd week of October showed 24% positive and 66% negative, and the Real Meter report in the 4th week of September showed 25.8% positive and 70.8% negative.
In particular, this solo election is expected to be greatly influenced by the by-election on the 16th. If the People Power Party wins the election for the mayor of Geumjeong-gu in Busan, a conservative garden, it is highly likely that Representative Han will take the lead in a private meeting and discuss the risks of Mrs. Kim and personnel reform of the President’s Office. On the other hand, if the party loses the election, there is a possibility that representative Han’s leadership will be damaged and the stand-alone alliance itself will be canceled.
Even if the private meeting is achieved after many twists and turns, it is not very likely that President Yoon will completely accept Representative Han’s request. Representative Han is expected to recommend to President Yoon measures that are in line with the public’s expectations regarding Mrs. Kim’s restraint in public activities, rapid establishment of a second subsidiary office, appointment of a special inspector, Ms. Kim’s apology, and suspicions of involvement in Deutsche Motors stock price manipulation.
This stems from the perception that Mrs. Kim’s various suspicions are putting a burden on the entire ruling party. Some ruling party lawmakers, including Han Dong-hoon’s faction, believe that Mrs. Kim’s risks should be preemptively resolved in order to defend against the opposition party’s special prosecutor’s attack targeting President Yoon and his wife.
However, President Yoon is expected to maintain his stance that he will wait for the results of the prosecution’s investigation on issues related to Ms. Kim. Regarding the demand for personnel reform, there is a high possibility that the principle that personnel authority is the exclusive authority of the president will be stated. In this case, conflict between the party and government is expected to continue even after the independent government.
The President’s Office refrained from making an official response to Representative Han’s offensive and began to manage the situation. They appear to be sparing their words to prevent the conflict between the party and government from spreading further.
A high-ranking official in the Presidential Office said, “This is a situation that requires calm.” Another official also briefly responded, “There is no atmosphere regarding Representative Han’s remarks.” However, this official said, “It seems like the People Power Party lawmakers have said a lot.” The remarks of pro-Yoon (Seok-yeol Yoon) members of the party indirectly showed signs of discomfort.
Pro-Yoon circles continued to protest against Representative Han’s remarks, questioning whether they were an infringement on the president’s inherent authority. Rep. Kwon Seong-dong recently pointed out to Representative Han on SBS Radio, “Was there a need to talk about it in public?” Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun also said on Facebook, “If you’re not incited to demonize Ms. Kim, you shouldn’t have made self-harming remarks.” “We must refrain from doing so,” he criticized.
There are also complaints within the Presidential Office that Representative Han may be bringing up the issue of First Lady Kim and the Presidential Office out of awareness of responsibility for the results of the by-election. Regarding Representative Han’s recent remarks, an official from the Presidential Office said, “It is his intention to avoid responsibility by saying that it was because of the First Lady when he lost in the by-election,” and pointed out, “The pattern is the same as during the April general election.”
Judging by the atmosphere in the Presidential Office, the prevailing analysis is that it is difficult to find an immediate solution to Ms. Kim’s problem. There are concerns that if this solo meeting ends as an ’empty-handed meeting’ without any results, the conflict between party and government relations as well as factions within the party will deepen.
However, there is a possibility that results can be achieved on topics where it is easy to find consensus, such as medical reform. There are also expectations that if a consensus is formed on medical reform, etc. in the independent group, it could lead to practical results and serve as an opportunity to improve party-government relations.
Economy Queen Reporter Kim Jeong-hyun photo Presidential Office website
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