Seong Il-jong says Han Dong-hoon's return to PPP need not be rushed

People Power Party lawmaker Seong Il-jong said Tuesday that he personally sees no need to rush the question of Han Dong-hoon's return to the party.

Speaking on KBS Radio that day, Seong said the party has a national convention scheduled for August next year along with various other commitments, and there is no reason to let the question of Han's return complicate things unnecessarily.

"Various currents need to flow, and intraparty politics must play out behind the scenes — building rapport and communication along the way," he said. "If and when the time comes for the conservative right to unite as one, what matters most is that everyone lays out their political positions, seeks mutual understanding and works together to build a framework that can deliver victory in the 2028 general election."

Asked about the public dispute between Ahn Cheol-soo and Han over the Dec. 3 emergency martial law declaration, Seong said the timeline of events should leave little room for misunderstanding. "If they compare notes, I think they can reach a reasonable understanding," he said.

On the controversy over what critics have called "discipline politics" within the PPP, Seong said that when there is a clear and obvious problem, a disciplinary committee should be convened. At the same time, he argued that before resorting to formal discipline, the party should try to resolve internal disputes through behind-the-scenes coordination.

"We need to wait and see how things unfold," he added. "In my view, repeatedly discussing discipline before the outcome is even known puts intraparty politics ahead of everything else."

On negotiations over the formation of the National Assembly leadership, Seong said the first thing the ruling party needs to do is promise to drop the charges. "If the ruling party tells us it will not drop the charges and we should come to the table anyway, then we would have grounds to join even if the Democratic Party chairs the Legislation and Judiciary Committee," he explained.

"None of that is happening right now, and it is the ruling party that controls how the Assembly operates," he said, drawing a line. "The Assembly speaker should be persuading the ruling party — not the opposition."