In a startling revelation, a leaked phone conversation in which a former presidential official urged a reporter from a YouTube news channel to discredit the current leader of the ruling People Power Party during the party's leadership race has alarmed the conservative bloc in recent days. Voice of Seoul, a far-left YouTube-based news channel, recently uploaded an apparent recording of a phone conversation between Kim Dae-nam, formerly the acting secretary for public communication at the presidential office, and one of its reporters, Lee Myung-soo. In the conversation, Kim asks Lee to “attack” Han Dong-hoon ahead of the People Power Party’s July 23 national convention, where the election for its next chair was being held, claiming that “first lady Kim Keon Hee has (been suffering) because of Han and she would like it if they plan well together to attack him.
” The recording's release comes amid growing speculations of a rift between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Han since January this year, when the current People Power Party chair was interim leader of the ruling party. Yoon and Han were reportedly unable to bridge their differences over how the ruling party should deal with Kim Keon Hee's controversial acceptance of a luxury bag from a Korean American pastor at the time. In recent weeks, the pro-Han faction within the ruling party has highlighted the gap in Yoon's and Han's views on the formation of a four-way consultative body -- to include Yoon's office, the ruling .
