The last time we saw Han Dong-hun 한동훈, he was being ousted from his People Power Party 국민의힘 leadership for supporting Yoon Suk-yeol 윤석열’s impeachment. After rising to political stardom as Yoon’s enforcer at the Public Prosecutors’ Office 검찰청, Han feuded with the impeached president over the handling of the First Lady’s scandals, and ended up on Yoon’s “disposal list 수거대상” of figures who would have been arrested and killed the night Yoon declared martial law, if the military takeover had been successful.
After a hiatus following Yoon’s impeachment, Han published a book on February 28, which quickly climbed the best seller list. Hitting book talks and the interview circuit, Han is promoting himself as a “center-right 중도보수” alternative to the the PPP’s far-right turn. Han said the ruling party should have done more to prevent Yoon’s declaration of martial law, but said he believed Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung 이재명 민주당 당대표 could also declare martial law.
The Yoon administration had been on the right track, according to Han, who says he would do more to seek compromises on controversial issues such as increasing the number of medical students or cutting the government budget for research and development. Han has also become a proponent of nuclear latency, or standing ready to build nuclear weapons in short order - a reversal from his previous position of opposing South Korea’s nuclear armament.