'Friend or foe?' PPP keeps wary distance from Han Dong-hoon

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon has positioned himself at the forefront of attacks on the ruling party, wielding allegations that Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won sought favors involving a new drug. Yet his relationship with the People Power Party has shown little sign of warming. While some within the party have praised Han's offensive, others have drawn a clear line on cooperating with him during the confirmation hearing or on disciplinary issues — reflecting a complicated mood within the PPP.

In a Facebook post Thursday, Han said, "I hear the Democratic Party oppas — older brothers — are going to expel me, because I exposed their poison-lobbying gate." He added, "This is not the first time I have faced expulsion, and it cannot stop someone who keeps the public's interest in mind."

Han has recently used the allegations that Kim sought favors involving a new drug as a springboard for daily attacks on the government and ruling party. In another post Thursday, he claimed, "President Lee Jae Myung said he would ruin anyone who manipulates stock prices, but he actually made Kim Seung-won — who helped with stock manipulation — the justice minister." He added, "The Democratic Party, the prime minister and the Ministry of Justice are all going all out to root out the whistleblower who exposed Kim's wrongdoing."

Views within the People Power Party on Han's actions are divided. PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok, in an interview with Pen&Mike TV on Tuesday, voiced concern that "repeatedly emphasizing the word oppa while attacking Kim could obscure the real problems and the essence of the issue with the nominee."

Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, however, said on YTN Radio on Thursday that "Han is at the forefront of the attacks on the ruling party," adding that the goal was for "our party's lawmakers, including those on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, to cooperate as a team and fight the ruling party for the greater cause."

Some have argued that Han should be added to the confirmation hearing panel for Kim. Supreme Council member Woo Jae-jun said at Thursday's Supreme Council meeting that Han "is in effect leading efforts to bring public attention to this case," and proposed that "the leadership either lift Han's disciplinary action or at least suspend it for the duration of the hearing so he can be added as a hearing committee member."

The floor leadership drew a line, calling it in effect impossible. Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik told reporters after the Supreme Council meeting, "Suspending the party's disciplinary action out of some necessity would fundamentally shake the foundation of the party." He added, "The National Assembly Act sets quotas for each negotiating bloc and independent lawmakers on every standing committee, so we cannot act against that provision."

The subtle distance between Han and the People Power Party is also apparent in Busan, his home district. Han will hold a separate budget and policy consultation with the Busan city government on Monday. PPP lawmakers from the Busan region held their own such meeting with the city on Sept. 2, but Han, no longer a PPP member, is holding a separate session. Han sits on the National Assembly's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts and is reportedly set to review local issues and the budget for major Busan city projects.

Han's attendance at a second forum on the relocation of public institutions, hosted by Rep. Lee Sung-kwon, the PPP's Busan chapter chairman, reportedly drew discomfort from some lawmakers as well. An aide in the office of a PPP lawmaker from Busan said, "There are areas where we could cooperate with Han since we are both from Busan, but given the mood within the party, it is not easy to move forward."

The disciplinary issue remains another source of friction between Han and the party leadership. Supreme Council member Cho Kwang-han took direct aim at Han at Thursday's Supreme Council meeting, saying, "He is someone who was expelled from our party because he is suspected of criminal conduct," and adding, "Since he seems to really enjoy shining alone and playing alone, I think he should just keep enjoying himself alone outside the party."

Han, for his part, has kept up his own offensive against the party's mainstream faction. On Friday, he criticized Jang Dong-hyeok's faction, saying, "At a time when important matters requiring checks and criticism of the Democratic Party are unfolding, the Jang Dong-hyeok faction is focused only on taking down those within the party who oppose them."