A series of conflicts between President Yoon Suk Yeol and his political lieutenant Han Dong-hoon have come under renewed focus as Han was elected as the new chair of the ruling People Power Party in a resounding victory at the party's National Convention on Tuesday. Han was constantly at odds with Yoon's office in Seoul as he led the campaign for the April 10 general election as the ruling party's interim leader. On the latest occasion, earlier in July, Han zeroed in on the presidential office by saying that it is "wrong to interfere in the party's national convention in this fashion," while referring to a media leak of text messages first lady Kim Keon Hee sent to him that were left unanswered.
The presidential office then hit back at Han's claim that it had "never interfered in" the election campaign for the ruling party leadership. Kim reportedly sent at least five text messages to Han in January expressing her intent to apologize before the public over her alleged antigraft rule violation by receiving a luxury Dior bag in front of a hidden camera in 2022. In the meantime, Han in January revealed that Yoon's then Chief of Staff Lee Kwan-sup had offered him to step down from the party's leadership.
January was also when Han openly asked Kim to apologize before the public regarding the Dior bag scandal. These incidents triggered media speculation that conflict between Yoon and Han had erupted. Doubling down on the speculations, Han in March openly asked former Defense Minist.