As Kim Seung-won's Hearing Ends, a Han Dong-hoon Vibe Grips the PPP
After the confirmation hearing for Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won ended at the National Assembly on the 15th, the atmosphere within the People Power Party grew complicated as independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, who was not even a hearing committee member, ended up occupying one axis of the crossfire. That day, PPP Legislation and Judiciary Committee members raised allegations all day long — from suspicions of lobbying for approval of a new drug clinical trial to suspicions involving family members — but within the hearing room, it was the verbal clashes between the ruling and opposition parties that stood out. Nominee Kim raised the issue of how the materials in question had been leaked externally, saying the facts needed to be verified.
Some lawmakers from the broader ruling camp also criticized Han, questioning how he obtained the materials, and Han confronted them outside the hearing room. Han, meanwhile, held a press conference that afternoon at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, drawing attention for his off-floor sparring through Facebook posts and press conferences, prompting jokes that he was holding a 'Wi-Fi hearing.'
The temperature gap within the party existed even before the hearing. Among lawmakers close to Han, some even argued that his disciplinary suspension should be temporarily lifted so he could be appointed as a hearing committee member. The party leadership, however, kept its distance, stressing that 'team play' mattered more than any individual's 'solo play.'
As the party continues to grapple with how far to cooperate with Han following this hearing, and whether to link that to his potential return to the party, some interpret his sending of Chuseok gifts to PPP lawmakers as a show of his willingness to mend relations. On the 16th, Han sent Guupo noodles — a specialty of Busan's Buk District, his constituency — along with handwritten letters to 109 PPP lawmakers, including party leader Jang Dong-hyuk and floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik. The letters contained a message that 'we will join forces together' along with warm wishes for an abundant and joyful Chuseok.
