Eyes turn back to Yoon-Han tensions

A series of conflicts between President Yoon Suk Yeol and his political lieutenant Han Dong-hoon have come under renewed focus as Han was elected as the new chair of the ruling People Power Party in a resounding victory at the party's National Convention on Tuesday.

Han was constantly at odds with Yoon's office in Seoul as he led the campaign for the April 10 general election as the ruling party's interim leader.

On the latest occasion, earlier in July, Han zeroed in on the presidential office by saying that it is "wrong to interfere in the party's national convention in this fashion," while referring to a media leak of text messages first lady Kim Keon Hee sent to him that were left unanswered. The presidential office then hit back at Han's claim that it had "never interfered in" the election campaign for the ruling party leadership.

Kim reportedly sent at least five text messages to Han in January expressing her intent to apologize before the public over her alleged antigraft rule violation by receiving a luxury Dior bag in front of a hidden camera in 2022.

In the meantime, Han in January revealed that Yoon's then Chief of Staff Lee Kwan-sup had offered him to step down from the party's leadership. January was also when Han openly asked Kim to apologize before the public regarding the Dior bag scandal.

These incidents triggered media speculation that conflict between Yoon and Han had erupted.

Doubling down on the speculations, Han in March openly asked former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup to return to Seoul. Lee was then nominated as the ambassador to Australia while being investigated for his alleged involvement in the abuse of power to interrupt a Marine Corps' internal probe into a young Marine conscript's death during a rescue operation in July.

He then also asked Yoon's office to fire aide Hwang Sang-moo who was under fire for controversial remarks about press freedom in a private lunch with reporters.

Before Yoon, a former prosecutor general, entered politics by declaring his presidential bid in June 2021, he and Han worked as public prosecutors for about two decades. Han, the first justice minister in the Yoon administration, entered politics by assuming the People Power Party leadership post in December. Han stepped down following the April election loss.

President Yoon issued congratulatory remarks at the venue ahead of the results. In his speech, he highlighted a need to gather strength to overcome the challenges posed by the main opposition party's dominance in the parliament following the April general election defeat.

"In order to handle the livelihood matters of the people and make people happy, the (ruling) party and the government must unite as one," Yoon said before some 10,000 participants in the national convention. "People will show more support to us if we stand united as a team and serve our people together."

President Yoon's office has yet to release a statement regarding the election result, as of press time.