A new head of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), which is in power in South Korea, has been chosen. Former prosecutor and President Yoon Suk-yeol’s first minister of justice, Han Dong-hoon, has emerged triumphant but not unharmed from a contentious contest that local media dubbed a “self-destruction convention.” Now that Han’s relationship with Yoon is strained, everyone will be watching, and special investigations into Han, the first lady, and the president are necessary due to his treatment of dissent.
Han Dong-hoon secured the leadership of South Korea’s conservative party with 62.8 percent of the vote. He was followed by former land minister Won Hee-ryong, who received 18.8 percent, and five-time lawmaker Na Kyung-won, who garnered 14.6 percent. The final phase of voting concluded on July 22, and the results were unveiled at the party convention on July 23. In the mixed-weighted voting system, party member votes made up 80 percent, while the remaining 20 percent was based on public opinion polls.
The five members of the Supreme Council were elected in addition to the party leader. Han gained additional support in the Supreme Council election, as pro-Han candidates Jin Jong-oh and Jang Dong-hyuk were both elected to office. This acts as a safeguard against the possibility of the party leader being removed, which would need the support of four or more Supreme Council members.
Although Han had been the overwhelming favorite from the beginning, a string of slanderous debates and his dubious “dropping of a nuclear bomb” stunted partisan enthusiasm and raised the prospect of a run-off if Han was unable to secure more than half of the vote. The low voter turnout was indicative of disappointment among conservative voters. There was very little policy debate, and the main source of conflict among the candidates was grave charges rather than differences of viewpoint.
Tensions escalated around issues concerning President Yoon and First Lady Kim Keon-hee, particularly following the revelation of a text message exchange between Han and Kim leading up to the April 2024 legislative election. Han had read Kim’s messages but did not respond, seemingly ignoring her offer to publicly apologize for accepting a Dior bag. Both Won and Na seized on this issue to accuse Han of being a “traitor” who had intentionally undermined the PPP’s electoral prospects.
In a live debate, Han, for his part, unleashed a shocking claim against Na Kyung-won, essentially saying that she had asked him to corrupt the legal system by getting ongoing criminal cases against her and other PPP lawmakers dismissed while he was the minister of justice. Han was eventually able to seize control of the party despite the bad news cycle being created by the backlash against him for “crossing the line.”
With an eye toward a potential 2027 presidential bid, the victory gives Han the platform to further enhance his standing inside the party and increase his public profile.
As Yoon’s close partner since their days as prosecutors, Han served as the president’s right-hand man when he was the justice minister. He then resigned to take on the role of PPP leader in the interim as the country prepared for the legislative elections scheduled for April 2024.
During his tenure as acting leader, Han gained more prominence among conservative supporters by cultivating an image of himself as a well-read, principled person who is capable of defeating powerful progressives. However, it also revealed weaknesses in his direction. Han seemed to distance himself from Yoon and Kim as a string of political controversies surrounding them threatened to destroy the PPP’s chances of winning elections. As a result, there was tension between him and Yoon. The PPP eventually lost badly, and Han quit right after.
Han’s political future appeared bleak, as there were rumors that he would follow the well-traveled route in South Korean politics of retiring from public life for a long time. With this bid for party leadership, Han did, however, come back rather quickly. Han took up the role of the “anti-Yoon” candidate this time, and it seemed as though the president was endorsing Won Hee-ryong.
Thus, Han’s win signifies yet another rejection of Yoon, this time from his party. PPP members on the grassroots level have expressed a willingness for change and for the party to break ties with a president who has never been popular in the past. Han will need to rebuild his relationship with the embattled president in addition to uniting a party still suffering from the turmoil of the leadership contest to carry out this mandate.
In addition to low support ratings, the Yoon administration must contend with a stronger progressive majority in the National Assembly, which will hold onto power until the conclusion of his one-term presidency. Yoon has instead found himself on the defensive after failing to implement any form of legislative agenda. He has used an unusual amount of presidential veto power to thwart laws that the progressive bloc has enacted. This includes very well-liked regulations creating special probes into the supposed wrongdoings of the First Lady and the circumstances behind the death of a marine in 2023. In the latter case, Yoon is accused of improperly tampering with the inquiry that follows.
The opposition group needs a two-thirds majority vote in the National Assembly to overturn a presidential veto, and there are only eight conservative defections short of that number. Yoon would probably die in the event of a veto override, which may also compel him to leave the party and possibly result in his impeachment. According to Yoon, preventing PPP defections in the post-veto vote process is essential to the survival of his rule. As party head, Han will have to negotiate this dangerous political terrain.
Han has already expressed a willingness to make concessions on a few of these rules, such as the special investigations that Yoon and his wife are the subject of. He would be in direct conflict with the president if he did this, but Yoon has a history of interfering in party matters to remove leaders who don’t suit him; he removed Han’s two predecessors, Lee Jun-seok and Kim Gi-hyeon.
Han, a political rookie with his sights firmly set on the president, will need to demonstrate a level of political savvy never before seen to fulfill his dreams. He still has to strike a careful balance between the public, opposition parliamentarians, and the presidential office—even if he is successful in patching up differences within the conservative community. In the absence of the chance to enact historic legislation, Han will seek to solidify his reputation as a scathing opponent of his political rivals who can block the opposition’s plans and transform the conservative brand.