Han Dong-hoon's rise reshaping conservative politics, commentator says

Conservative commentator Jo Gap-je, head of Chogapje.com, said Monday that People Power Party support is shifting toward lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, whose political momentum is triggering a seismic shift in South Korean politics.

Appearing on SBS Radio that day, Jo said support for Han among conservatives — particularly PPP supporters — is running at three times the level of support for party leader Jang Dong-hyeok. "His support base is changing," Jo said.

Jo also weighed in on Jang's decision to post a message Sunday appearing to defend Han, saying criticism of Jang — "What is he doing?" — had been mounting. "Sensing that pressure, the political landscape has clearly shifted to the point where he has no choice but to cheer Han on, even reluctantly," Jo said.

Jo criticized Jang's handling of the "oppa gate" allegations that Han has been raising against Ministry of Justice Minister Nominee Kim Seung-won. When Jang suggested that overemphasizing the word "oppa" could obscure the core issue of the withdrawal of indictments, Jo dismissed the remark as "idle talk."

"Lawmaker Han has laid out his strategy — that the withdrawal of indictments must be stopped — and is pressing his attack from there," Jo said, adding that if Jang was going to offer that kind of criticism, he should instead be pushing harder on the more important issue of a special prosecutor.

"Whether or not a special prosecutor happens is not Han Dong-hoon's responsibility — it is Jang Dong-hyeok's," Jo said. "If he cannot push it through even in this environment, that is incompetence."

Jo was equally blunt about Jang's appearance at a weekend rally at Olympic Park, where Jang beat a drum, calling it "a comedy." "Lawmaker Han is shaking the government with a decisive scoop, and divisions are appearing within the administration itself," Jo said. "This is a decisive opportunity — how can you win a nationwide by-election by beating a drum?"

"We are in the middle of a fierce political struggle over the fate of the government and the direction of the country, and it is as if he has gone off to the South Pacific for a holiday," Jo said. He added that after the Lee Jae Myung administration, the entity set to take the biggest blow from the current situation is the Jang Dong-hyeok leadership.

Jo said that if Han's drive weakens Jang's standing within the party, PPP members could begin saying Jang is not up to the job. "If we assume Han rejoins the party and a leadership election is held right now, I think he would beat Jang," Jo said.

Jo also predicted it would be difficult for the PPP to match Han's firepower during the confirmation hearing season beginning Monday. "Lawmaker Han has been so far out in front that the public has grown accustomed to it," he said. "To make an impact, someone would have to deliver an even more shocking scoop — and I don't think that is going to happen."