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President Yoon Suk-yeol (left) and People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon visit the remains of the ROKS Cheonan corvette while attending a ceremony in Pyeongtaek on March 22, 2024. (courtesy of presidential office/Yonhap)

By Seong Han-yong, senior politics writer 

I suppose that President Yoon Suk-yeol and Han Dong-hoon, interim chair of the People Power Party (PPP), are wondering what on earth has gone wrong. In their heads, they’re probably screaming, “This can’t be happening!”

Some members of the legal elites — and Yoon and Han are included among their numbers — have an extremely arrogant view about life. They’re talented, of course, but that very talent can lead to the mistaken assumption that they could have been good at anything they put their mind to. That can lead to the delusional belief that they would have become a grandmaster like Lee Se-dol if they’d studied Go, a gold medalist like Kim Yun-a if they’d taken up figure skating, or a corporate magnate like Lee Kun-hee if they’d gone into business. So they assume politics will be a piece of cake.

It doesn’t take lawmakers with a legal background very long to realize politics isn’t nearly as simple as they’d assumed. Most of them get smart during their first term in office, learning that emotion takes precedence to reason, process to results, attitude to substance, and politics to legalism.

But Yoon and Han still don’t seem to “get” politics, perhaps because they don’t have any experience in the National Assembly. They still seem to be totally ignorant about why the public is so hostile to the government and the ruling party.

Han’s irritation and consternation are evident in his speeches at campaign events. Whenever he opens his mouth, he seems compelled to talk about “criminals” and “North Korea sympathizers.” It’s evident from his facial expressions that he can’t fathom why “criminals” like Lee Jae-myung and Cho Kuk are attracting more support than “crusaders of justice” such as himself and Yoon.

“What Lee Jae-myung said to his sister-in-law. That’s pure trash, isn’t it? Should I repeat what Lee said? My fellow citizens, what Lee said is hard to say in public. It’s that bad. Please listen one more time. It may be uncomfortable, but the fate of the country is on the line.”

President Yoon Suk-yeol delivers an address to the nation regarding health care reforms on April 1, 2024, from the presidential office in Seoul. (courtesy of the presidential office)

Han is still unaware that the more he criticizes the opposition, the less voters support him. Days before the general election, he seems to have reached his limit.

At an Easter service in eastern Seoul’s Myungsung Presbyterian Church, Yoon said the following:

“My administration and I will lower our heads and direct our ears further toward the people, so that we may hear even the slightest of their whispers. We will help those in need get back on their feet, and lend our aid to give them strength.”

Yoon’s statement lacks sincerity. It’s like hearing an AI program talk. If you truly want to help those in need back on their feet and lend aid to give them strength, you need to change legislation. To change legislation, you need to compromise with the opposition. You need to meet with the leader of the main opposition party.

Will Yoon meet with Lee Jae-myung after the general election? Doubtful. He hasn’t sat down with Lee for the past two years. Why would that change? Since his inauguration, Yoon has treated Lee less like the opposition leader and more like a criminal suspect.

If the Democratic Party appoints a new leader at its national convention in August, will Yoon finally agree to sit down with the opposition leader? Also doubtful. The president will find a new excuse to avoid compromise. Yoon despises not only Lee but the very existence of the Democratic Party. He wants to act alone.

If Yoon and Han continue to stubbornly dig in their heels, it will be difficult for the PPP to emerge victorious in the general election. What should they do? Some people within the party — those with enough political experience and wisdom — are providing the correct diagnoses and prescriptions.

“The Democratic Party is currently led by someone who has to go to court two to three times a week. If the Supreme Court convicts him, Cho Kuk, leader of the newly founded Rebuilding Korea Party, will see prison time. Despite all that, the people are currently more upset with the Yoon administration and the People Power Party. That is the simple truth,” said Yoo Seong-min, a former National Assembly member, while stumping for a PPP candidate in Seoul’s Mapo District. 

PPP interim leader Han Dong-hoon (right) campaigns for National Assembly member candidate Cho Seung-hwan in Busan on April 1, 2024. (Yonhap)

“There are two factors at the heart of this truth. For the past two years, the current administration has failed the people economically. Their day-to-day living has gotten harder. Secondly, the Yoon administration was voted into power because Yoon promised justice and fairness. Yet we continue to see things that fly in the face of these promises,” Yoo went on.

The PPP’s Cho Hae-jin has voiced hard truths for Yoon. 

“President Yoon needs to kneel before the people. For his arrogance and dogmatism, his overt partisan politics, his exclusionary nomination processes, and for plunging national affairs into chaos and exhibiting his incompetence — he needs to apologize for all of it,” Cho said during a press conference late last month. 

“Yoon needs to declare a total overhaul of his governing before the people, starting with his appointments and nominations. He needs to completely reshuffle his presidential staff and Cabinet to restore public faith,” the lawmaker went on.

In summary, Yoon and Han need to prostrate before the people and await their judgment. If they can do that, perhaps they’ll get a second chance. Yet that is unlikely. People can rarely change who they are. 

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]