Han requests one-on-one talk with Pres. Yoon

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol returned from a four-day official trip to the Czech Republic to forge a “nuclear power alliance.” Upon his arrival at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province early Sunday morning, he was greeted by People Power Party (PPP) Chairman Han Dong-hoon and Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min. Whereas he shook hands over a brief talk for around 50 seconds with the latter, he only had a handshake with the former with no conversation at all. Ruling party insiders project that this Tuesday’s luncheon between President Yoon and the PPP leadership will mark a watershed in how they resolve their discord.

“The chairman requested a private meetup with President Yoon right before the official luncheon scheduled this Tuesday,” a political figure close to Chairman Han said in a telephone interview with The Dong-A Ilbo on Sunday. “It may be natural that their private talk would facilitate in-depth discussions on focal issues such as a consultative body of the government, the National Assembly, and the ruling and opposition parties. The person did not figure that it would make a difference in the status quo if the presidential office and ruling party leaders took photos after a meal. In response, a presidential office insider showed a careful approach, saying, “We should just wait and see now that the luncheon is coming up.”

It has been reported that if a private meeting is arranged with President Yoon, Chairman Han would ask the administration to be flexible in adjusting the med school quotas for the school year of 2025 in a way that will help form the joint consultative body. He is also expected to request to end the blame game with the medical community and defer investigations of medical residents quitting their jobs in cases where unusual accusations are not involved. On the other hand, the presidential office takes a firm stance on the current 2025 med school quota plan, given that students have already begun to apply for early admissions.

There are concerns that President Yoon and the ruling party will see their approval ratings fall if their private talks fail, keeping them at odds for some time. A pro-Han lawmaker pointed out that President Yoon would not find it easy to turn the tables unless he changed his mind.


Hyung-Jun Hwang constant25@donga.com