Has the Yoon-Han conflict truly ended?

Lee Cheol-gyu, a staunch supporter of President Yoon Suk Yeol within the People Power Party, spearheaded the public campaign supporting Han Dong-hoon's appointment as the emergency committee chairman last December. In the face of opposition from factions within the party, Lee asserted that “party members, the general public, and lawmakers predominantly backed Chairman Han.” This pro-Yoon group was instrumental in fostering a supportive environment for Han's promotion, viewing it as the sole solution to the party's crisis.

On Thursday, the eve of the general election candidate registration, Lee openly disclosed a brewing conflict over nominations with Chairman Han, criticizing it as 'backroom' politics. Despite the previously quiet nature of Han's nominations, tensions had been mounting, with many seeing the early Yoon-Han disagreements as a struggle over nomination power. The discord started when Han advised Lee to limit office visits to prevent nomination-related misunderstandings.

“I am compelled to elucidate the situation,” Lee said at a press conference on Wednesday. “Equal accountability applies to all, including Han Dong-hoon and Jang Dong-hyeok, if I were overreaching.”

Lee's role in interpreting and relaying President Yoon's wishes to the party highlights the internal dissatisfaction over Han's nominations, reflecting a broader discontent within the pro-Yoon faction and possibly with President Yoon himself. Lee's conference aligned with government efforts to mend the rift over the 'Lee Jong-sup - Hwang Sang-moo' controversy, a second round of the Yoon-Han dispute. Yet Lee risked exacerbating party tensions by airing internal disputes. Despite the looming threat of a crushing defeat for the ruling party, Lee publicly revealed and addressed the party's deep-seated disputes concerning nominations. This act underscores the intense undercurrents of the Yoon-Han and intra-party conflicts, revealing a stark contrast between public claims of nominations serving the populace and the underlying power struggles to install loyalists.

Politicians often portray nominations as acts of public service, yet the underlying reality frequently reveals a power struggle to install their allies. This is encapsulated in the saying that nominations involve snatching food from others' throats to feed oneself, a metaphor that starkly illustrates the often self-serving nature of these political maneuvers. With three years remaining in President Yoon's term and Han's potential candidacy in the next presidential race, the ruling party's future actions, influenced by the upcoming general election results, remain uncertain. The ongoing Yoon-Han tensions suggest a complex political landscape that continues to evolve.