Remarks seen as a contrast to party leader Jang Dong-hyeok's 'fighting party' stance

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon enters the opening ceremony of the 439th regular session of the National Assembly on Tuesday. [Yonhap]
Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon enters the opening ceremony of the 439th regular session of the National Assembly on Tuesday. [Yonhap]

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon called on the People Power Party on Wednesday to become "a party that wins, not a party that fights well," urging a conservative revival centered on public sentiment.

Han made the remarks in a congratulatory speech at the inauguration of Kim Hwa-jin as the first chairperson of the PPP's newly unified South Jeolla Province-Gwangju special metropolitan party chapter, held that afternoon at the Holiday Inn hotel in Seo-gu, Gwangju.

"Some figures in the conservative camp are saying 'let's fight,' 'let's build a fighting party,' 'we'll drive out and punish those who don't fight,'" Han said. "The party we need to build is not one that fights well, but one that wins."

The remarks were widely interpreted as an effort to distance himself from PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok, who has championed the "fighting party" line within the party.

"The way to build a winning party is to follow public sentiment," Han said. "We must move with the people — staying half a step ahead of them or walking side by side."

He also called on the Honam region to serve as a "casting vote" that could determine the outcome of conservative electoral contests.

Of PPP members in Honam, Han said they "are not people who gathered accepting defeat, but people who gathered to win — and people who can win," adding that "those gathered here are doing politics amid a sense of desperation and urgency, as if every day is a political battle."

About 300 people attended the ceremony, including PPP lawmaker Jeong Seong-guk, former supreme council member Kim Jong-hyeok, local party chapter heads and party members, in addition to Han.

PPP leader Jang and floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik delivered their congratulatory remarks via video message.

In his video address, Jang said he was pleased that Kim Hwa-jin had been inaugurated as the first chairperson of the unified chapter "at this meaningful moment when South Jeolla Province and Gwangju are joining forces and making a fresh start," and urged Kim to "unite the party members of South Jeolla and Gwangju and lead the new chapter with strength."

In her inaugural address, Kim said "unification does not end with merging organizations and systems into one — it is about bringing hearts together," and pledged to run the party chapter with a focus on harmony between Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, youth employment and the development of future industries.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com