Sworn rivals Jang Dong-hyuk and Han Dong-hoon vie for the hearts of voters in their 20s and 30s
On the 13th, Han Dong-hoon, an independent member of the National Assembly, held a press conference at the National Assembly to rebut the ruling party's claims that Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won was being subjected to 'targeted investigations.' "I warn the Democratic Party big brothers," he said. "Come after me instead of the weak — I will pull out all their teeth on behalf of the people." Han dismissed the reports from another lawmaker's press conference about the nominee as "the first he had heard of them."
With President Lee Jae-myung's approval rating falling to its lowest point since taking office, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk and lawmaker Han Dong-hoon are building their presence within the conservative camp as they eye a return to power in the 2030s. In a survey released by Gallup Korea on September 11, positive assessments of the president's performance stood at 38 percent versus 51 percent negative — his worst showing since taking office. The same poll found 22 percent considered Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won fit for the post against 43 percent unfit, while Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Yong Hye-in scored 13 percent fit and 61 percent unfit, indicating the personnel controversies were a factor dragging down the president's ratings.
The main beneficiary of the falling approval rating is People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk. At the party's Supreme Council meeting on September 11, he denounced the cabinet reshuffle as "a tool for prolonging dictatorship," saying, "The essence of this reshuffle is quashing indictments and a leftist cartel." During his first year as party leader, Jang faced calls for his resignation from a majority of the party over its crushing defeat in the June 3 election, but he held on. Since the vote-paper shortage scandal at the National Election Commission, he has kept his profile high by holding placards and leading chants at rallies in Olympic Park. Backed by hard-line 'Yoon Again' supporters, Jang is aiming for re-election at next August's party convention.
Han Dong-hoon, meanwhile, has been on the move. Expelled from the People Power Party, he staged a political comeback by winning the Busan Buk-gu A seat in the June 3 election as the party's candidate. When Kim Seung-won emerged as a target of prosecution scrutiny, Han escalated his criticism. Ranked first among conservative hopefuls in opinion polls, Han is expanding his base under the banner of 'rebuilding the conservative camp.' After Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Dong-ah filed a complaint against him over allegations of leaking investigative records, Han was questioned as the accused by police on the 13th.
The rift between Jang and Han has also come into the open. On June 30, when Han Dong-hoon was added to the Telegram group chat of the National Assembly Global Diplomacy and Security Forum led by Rep. Yoon Jae-ok, Jang Dong-hyuk promptly left the chat. Jang noted, "Keep emphasizing 'big brothers' and you'll lose sight of what really matters," to which Han retorted, "Is this really the time for that?" Supreme Council member Woo Jae-joon demanded disciplinary action against Han, but fellow member Jo Kwang-han quipped, "He's the type to make his own scene and play by himself — he'll be fine playing outside on his own."
The Jang-Han rivalry, complete with legal and political skirmishes, looks set to continue shaping the race to win back power with young voters for the time being.
