Seoul: The fierce internal battle over who really posted hundreds of online comments criticizing President Yoon Suk Yeol in the official chat room of the governing People Power Party (PPP) has crossed the point of no return. The problem is that the online comments were posted by PPP leader Han Dong-hoon and his family members. Rep. Kim Meen-geon, a female member of the Supreme Council, asked Han if he would still file a complaint with the police if she had posted a message demanding Han's resignation.According to Yonhap News Agency, in reaction, Han urged Kim to check the facts first. After Kim said she already read a news report, Han rebutted, "Show me the article!" The tussle was immediately followed by ferocious attacks and counterattacks from pro-Han and pro-Yoon members of the party. Questions arise about whether the PPP can afford such a fight amid tough challenges from home and abroad.The internal feud could be resolved if Han just denies that any of his family members posted such comments. Pro-Yoo n members of the party wonder why he doesn't do that. They may have a point. However, the PPP leader doesn't have a legal obligation to clarify who posted these messages. It's a matter of political determination.Lawmakers close to Han have linked the attack on him to "the need for his opponents to drag him down from his seat," despite the anonymity guaranteed for posts in the chat room. Their reasoning seems odd. Han, a former prosecutor and justice minister, remains committed to legal logic rather than addressing the issue politically. He believes that most of those who criticize him are related to power broker Myung Tae-kyun, who exposed the shocking power abuse scandal involving the first lady.Meanwhile, the conservative government and party's efforts to reform themselves have stalled. Initiatives over volatile issues, such as a tariff war triggered by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, the ongoing medical crisis from the president's bold move to drastically increase the medical school admissions quota , and the deepening economic pain of the self-employed, have been taken over by the Democratic Party (DP).The public may have found it strange when senior DP lawmakers shed tears after their boss was found not guilty of subornation of perjury in his first trial on Monday. However, they will undoubtedly find the evolving internal division of the PPP even more perplexing.It is not the time for the governing party to be engrossed in such a self-harming fight. There is hope that the two factions of the PPP can focus on improving people's livelihoods and reforming themselves before it is too late.
- October 12, 2026
