Yoon, Han seemingly bury the hatchet during visit to market fire site

Politics

Published: 23 Jan. 2024, 18:22 Updated: 23 Jan. 2024, 18:54

Yoon, Han seemingly bury the hatchet during visit to market fire site

President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, greets People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon during a visit to check on the site of a fire at a traditional market in Seocheon County, South Chungcheong, on Tuesday. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Han Dong-hoon, interim chief of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), visited the scene of a large fire that broke out at a traditional market in Seocheon County, South Chungcheong, on Tuesday in a speedy conciliatory gesture following reports of their falling out.

"I have deep respect and trust in the president," Han, a longtime trusted confidant of Yoon's, told reporters at Seoul Station after returning to the capital on a private train with Yoon later in the afternoon when asked if their conflict had been resolved. "The president and I have come this far with the sole mind of caring for the people's livelihood and making the people and this country prosper."

He then pledged to do his best to improve himself even more "to be chosen by the people on April 10 and take the path to making this country and our people better off," referring to the general elections.

Their joint visit to the Seocheon market was previously unplanned and came two days after initial reports Sunday of tensions between Han and the presidential office over the former justice minister's handling of allegations that first lady Kim Keon Hee accepted a luxury bag and election nominations.

The Seocheon market, specializing in marine products, burst into flames at around 11:08 p.m. Monday. Some 361 firefighters and 45 fire engines were dispatched to the scene, and the flames were extinguished after around nine hours at 7:55 a.m. Tuesday.

The blaze burned 227 shops, though no human casualties were reported.

The early reunion between Yoon and Han comes after presidential chief of staff Lee Kwan-sup reportedly met with Han on Sunday and delivered a request for him to step down as chief of the PPP's emergency steering committee.

On Monday, Han doubled down on his determination to continue as PPP's interim chief, vowing to continue his term until after April's general elections.

However, the two sides appear to have acted quickly to squash speculation of turmoil between the PPP and the presidential office with less than 80 days left till the parliamentary elections.

Initially, Yoon had no official schedule planned for Tuesday. He also had no official schedule the previous day, though he had a closed-door meeting with presidential secretaries, skipping out on participating in a public livelihood debate scheduled for Monday morning.

Early Tuesday, after receiving initial reports of the blaze, Yoon ordered the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and National Fire Agency to "do their best to extinguish the fire by mobilizing all available manpower and equipment."

After receiving a report of the blaze's damage, Yoon decided to visit the site in person, according to presidential officials.

Likewise, Han adjusted his original schedule to include a visit to the Seocheon market at a similar time to Yoon, leading to their first in-person meeting since the reports of their unlikely clash. Critics have often described Han as a proxy for the president to indicate their closeness.

Officials from the PPP and presidential office said that the two sides coordinated Han and Yoon's visits to the market, which were initially expected to occur separately.

Han arrived at the market first and waited for Yoon's arrival. The two then walked around the scene of the blaze together.

Yoon was spotted patting Han on the shoulder, and the justice minister bowed in respect to the president.

Yoon, accompanied by his local and central government officials and Han, was briefed on the damage at the market, according to the presidential office.

The president consoled the merchants for their losses ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday next month and thanked the firefighters who worked to contain the blaze.

Yoon invited Han to join him on his private train back to Seoul on the spot. They discussed ways to further support public livelihood on the ride.

However, presidential officials warned against imbuing the meeting with too much political significance.

Political observers said how Yoon and Han resolve their differences could determine the results of the upcoming parliamentary elections, also seen as a midterm evaluation of the five-year Yoon administration.

The PPP had been divided over allegations that Kim received a Christian Dior handbag valued at around 3 million won ($2,240) as a gift from a Korean American pastor in September 2022. A liberal YouTube news channel first reported the allegation on Nov. 29.

Some party members have also criticized Han for supporting a bid by Kim Gyeong-ryul, a member of the PPP's emergency steering committee, to run in Mapo District, western Seoul, against a sitting Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker for the general elections. The presidential office was apparently displeased with Han opting for such a "private" nomination process, ignoring proper procedures.

Kim has been outspoken in calling for an apology from the presidential office and first lady for the handbag controversy, the first in the party to do so publicly.

As a prosecutor, Han worked alongside Yoon, a former prosecutor general, on tough anticorruption cases. Han, one of the president's most trusted aides, was named Yoon's first justice minister in May 2022 and stepped down from this post on Dec. 26 to become chairman of the PPP's emergency steering committee.

Presidential officials said Yoon's office and the PPP have reached a consensus to focus on public livelihood, indicating relief that the conflict appears to have been contained for the time being.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon, right, are briefed on damages incurred by a fire at a traditional market for marine products in Seocheon County, South Chungcheong, on Tuesday. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

The medium-sized Seocheon traditional market opened in September 2004. It is a two-story building with a total floor area of 7,018 square meters, and it sells marine and agricultural products, household supplies, and other specialty goods.

According to presidential spokesperson Kim Soo-kyung, Yoon met with around 150 merchants affected by the fire and pledged to provide as much assistance as possible.

Responding to the merchants' request, Yoon said the government would immediately review the possibility of designating the area a special disaster zone. This would enable victims to become eligible for governmental relief funds and other benefits during recovery.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]