'Jang Dong-hyeok's defiance is no different from Hong Myung-bo and Chung Mong-gyu refusing to resign'

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon [Yonhap]
Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon [Yonhap]

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon's return to the People Power Party is coming into focus. Speaking Sunday about his potential reinstatement, Han said that when he was expelled, his first words were "I will definitely come back," and added, "I think the direction of my return is now just a matter of procedure."

Han made the remarks during an appearance on KBS Radio that day. He said that while "some people like Jang Dong-hyeok and the party leadership faction will naturally try to block my return, the various unreasonable behavior they have been engaging in is already heading toward its end."

Han drew a sharp comparison when addressing People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok's rejection of calls for his own resignation and Jang's suggestion that the ethics committee could be convened to discipline Han. He likened Jang's stance to that of national football team head coach Hong Myung-bo and Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu, whose resignations were being demanded after South Korea was eliminated from the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. "It is exactly the same as Hong Myung-bo or KFA President Chung Mong-gyu refusing to resign and saying, 'If you demand I step down, I will have you disciplined,'" Han said.

He went on to say, "The verdict on Jang Dong-hyeok and the party leadership faction has already been delivered, and there will be no one left who fears that kind of bluster. They will simply become a laughingstock — people will just say, 'That's not normal.'"

On the leadership faction's use of rising party approval ratings as grounds for refusing to step down, Han said, "If they are that confident in the party's sentiment, wouldn't they call for a confidence vote? That talk has quietly disappeared, hasn't it? Party sentiment ultimately converges with public sentiment."

Asked whether he would run for party leader after rejoining, Han called it "too distant a question" but added, "I will do everything I can in the process of winning a landslide in the 2028 general election and recapturing power in 2030. What I am trying to do is rebuild the conservative camp, win the general election and retake power — not take revenge on anyone."

Acknowledging that there are still many within the People Power Party who oppose his return, Han said, "The past two years have been truly difficult and trying. I have not changed my convictions, but many people have shifted their positions along the way."

In a separate interview published Sunday in Japan's Asahi Shimbun, Han addressed voices within the People Power Party calling him a "traitor," saying, "I have never betrayed the people," and reaffirming his role in rebuilding the conservative movement.

On KBS Radio, Han also pushed back against party leader Jang's call for a full by-election, saying, "Citizens can say that to express their anger and give direction, but their sentiments must not be exploited for political survival."

Han also opposed what is being discussed in the ruling party as a "single-point constitutional amendment," saying, "In a situation where the Democratic Party is pushing for unconstitutional dismissal of indictments, I am against carelessly touching the constitution." He added, "If people with dirty hands say, 'Let's make a cake together,' does that mean we have to make it?"

Regarding committee assignments, Han said he had applied for seats on the Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee, the Finance and Economic Planning Committee, and the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee.


sun@heraldcorp.com