Han Dong-hoon: “The result of the dinner is that we ate dinner… I need to have a candid discussion with Yoon”
There are mixed opinions within the party regarding the dinner meeting between President Yoon Seok-yeol and the leadership of the People Power Party on the 24th. The pro-Han Dong-hoon faction emphasized the need for a private meeting between President Yoon and Representative Han Dong-hoon, saying, “There was no opportunity to speak,” while the pro-Yoon faction dismissed it, saying, “It was an atmosphere where sufficient conversation was possible.” There is criticism that the dinner meeting was an “empty-handed meeting,” as there was no discussion at all on current issues such as the resolution of the legislative conflict or the issue of First Lady Kim Keon-hee.
Representative Han met with reporters at the National Assembly on the 25th and said, “The result of the dinner was that we had dinner,” and “It was not a place where we could talk about current issues. I think it would be better to look at it as a process of communication in the long term.” He added, “(The dinner) should not be said to have (achieved) results or not, but if the Office of the President is trying to find solutions to important issues, I think it would be the same.”
The day before, it was reported that Representative Han had once again requested a private meeting with President Yoon to Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Chul-ho. Representative Han explained, “We need to have a frank discussion with the President on important issues.” Regarding whether the Office of the President would respond, he said, “Let’s wait and see.” Regarding concerns about conflict between the ruling and opposition parties surrounding the request for a private meeting, he dismissed it, saying, “Politics is a process of talking and finding good answers for the sake of the people. It is not an issue that can be interpreted that way.”
Jang Dong-hyeok, a close friend who attended the dinner the day before, appeared on SBS Radio’s “Kim Tae-hyun’s Political Show” that day and said, “We ate outdoors and the table was long, so it wasn’t an atmosphere where we could have a focused and meaningful conversation.” He added, “We ate right away without any greetings from the party leader or floor leader, so there was no separate opportunity to discuss current issues.”
He continued, “I think that (Representative Han) thought that he would have at least an opportunity to give a toast or a greeting as the party leader and prepared for it. But there was no such opportunity,” and explained, “That’s why (Representative Han) asked again, ‘I hope the one-on-one meeting can happen soon. Please create such a place. ’”
Supreme Council Member Jang said, “The people have a desire for the president and the party leader to meet and resolve various pending issues, but it is regrettable that the formality is taking precedence over the content and the one-on-one meeting has ultimately fallen through,” and emphasized, “(Even if the Office of the President rejects it), if Representative Han thinks a one-on-one meeting is necessary, he needs to request it two or three times.”
Kim Jong-hyeok, a close aide to President Moon, also appeared on CBS Radio’s “Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show” and said, “It seems like Representative Han went (to the dinner) early and waited for an opportunity to say something. He said he wouldn’t have a private meeting, but I think he secretly expected that President Yoon would come early or after the dinner and say to Representative Han, ‘Let’s talk for a moment,’ but that didn’t happen at all.”
He continued, “Since the Supreme Council leadership has been newly formed, if (the president) had asked for my opinion, ‘How are things these days?’ (I) also wanted to say, ‘When I went during Chuseok, I thought this was what the public sentiment was like,’ but there was no such atmosphere,” and “(I) didn’t have a single opportunity to speak.” It is said that the conversation at the dinner the day before consisted of the attendees adding their support when President Yoon spoke.
On the other hand, Kim Jae-won, the supreme member of the pro-Yoon faction, countered on MBC Radio’s “Kim Jong-bae’s Focus,” saying, “It wasn’t an atmosphere where you couldn’t even speak, and it was an atmosphere where you could speak if you wanted to. Representative Han was facing President Yoon, so he had ample opportunity to speak, but didn’t Representative Han think, ‘I won’t speak here? ‘”
Regarding Representative Han’s continued requests for an exclusive meeting, Supreme Council Member Kim said, “If we reject the request for an exclusive meeting, we are openly creating the possibility that the president will be criticized for distrusting Representative Han and turning a deaf ear to public opinion, and if we accept the request for an exclusive meeting, the president can be framed as having yielded to Representative Han,” adding, “From the perspective of the Blue House, Representative Han may think that he is constantly driving the president into a corner.”
Kim So-young, Donga.com reporter [email protected]
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2024-09-26 04:57:32