SEOUL – Pressure on South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is set to grow after a public rift between him and his party’s leader Han Dong-hoon, fuelled by an ongoing controversy over a luxury handbag that was gifted to the First Lady in 2022.

The incident may dampen the prospects of the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) in the legislative elections that are just weeks away.

The President is said to have ordered the resignation of Mr Han over the weekend, after the latter said the party and the presidential office could have better handled the controversy surrounding Mr Yoon’s spouse for accepting a Dior handbag from a pastor.

News of the fallout shocked many, given the close ties between the duo whose relationship goes back more than 20 years to their time as prosecutors.

In a dramatic U-turn, both made a show of reconciling when Mr Yoon visited a local market on Jan 23. News footage showed the former justice minister greeting the President with a 90-degree deep bow, while Mr Yoon tapped Mr Han’s shoulder in an ostensibly friendly gesture. 

Mr Han is widely regarded as PPP’s ticket to success in the legislative elections, and tipped to be a presidential candidate in 2027.

The 50-year-old political heavyweight gained popularity for his calm demeanour while delivering sharp rebuttals to the opposition, which dominates the current National Assembly.

He stepped down as justice minister just a month ago to take over the party reins.

A survey conducted by Gallup Korea in December had Mr Han voted as Korea’s No. 2 “favourite future political leader” with 16 per cent support, second only to main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who had 19 per cent of the votes.

On the sudden patch-up, Seoul National University law professor Lee Jae-min said: “Just too much is at stake for them now. They just can’t afford to be wrangling over their different views.”

Sogang University political science professor Kim Jae-chun called Mr Yoon’s initial reaction “absurd”. He said: “What was going on with Yoon that day? Did he, in a fit of pique, call his chief of staff, and say, ‘Just go’ to that guy and then tell him to step down? I mean, you only have 77 days left to the election (as at Jan 24).”

Mr Han is known to be one of Mr Yoon’s closest advisers and confidants.

In 2023 as justice minister, he sided with Mr Yoon in opposing a Bill proposed by the opposition – that was eventually vetoed by the President – to launch a special investigation into First Lady Kim Keon-hee’s alleged involvement in stock manipulation.

But when Madam Kim was caught on camera supposedly accepting a Dior handbag worth 3 million won (S$3,000) during a meeting with a pastor in September 2022, Mr Han finally admitted on Jan 18 during a party policy event that the controversy is “a matter of public concern”.

An opinion poll in December showed 53 per cent of respondents believe she had acted inappropriately.

Mr Han noted that the situation was “a planned set-up using a spy cam”, but said there were “several misdeeds in handling the issue”, referring to the party’s stubborn silence for nearly 50 days after the controversy broke in November.

On Jan 19, a presidential official finally told reporters that  “gifts given to the President or First Lady are not accepted by them personally. According to the relevant rules, the gifts are managed and stored by the State”.

Mr Yoon, known to be a devoted husband, has continued to stand firmly by his wife. He was reportedly most upset by the comparisons of his wife to Marie Antoinette made by Mr Kim Kyung-yul, who was appointed by Mr Han to the PPP’s emergency leadership committee. The French queen was unpopular for her excesses and executed during the French Revolution. 

Mr Kim suggested on Jan 17 that “an apology, whether from the President, the First Lady, or both, might be a way to soothe the feelings and hearts of the people”. 

The same day, Mr Han publicly supported Mr Kim’s nomination for a parliamentary seat in a district in Seoul’s Mapo Ward, which Mr Yoon likely felt was a twist of the knife.

On Jan 21, the presidential office announced that Mr Yoon had withdrawn his support for Mr Han as party chief, effectively requesting his resignation. 

Mr Han rejected the call for his resignation, telling reporters that his work would be done only after the elections. “The path that I’ve decided on is to walk for the people, so I will do my job,” he said.

The public rift saw party members split into two camps. 

Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, a PPP member, appeared to criticise Mr Han, saying on Facebook: “You may not know this because you have only held appointed positions. But if you lose the trust of the people and party members, the party leader can still be kicked out.” 

But he also acknowledged that a resolution was urgently needed, given the impending elections.

Other lawmakers who came out to support Mr Han’s position included Mr Lee Soo-jeong, who is looking to run for office in Suwon, a city 30 minutes away from Seoul.

He said during a radio interview that the easiest way to resolve the conflict would be for Madam Kim to return the gift, explain herself and apologise to the public. 

Public opinion also appears to be on the side of Mr Han. Two separate opinion polls released this week showed Mr Han’s approval rating to be 41.8 per cent, higher than Mr Yoon’s rating of 35.7 per cent.

Furthermore, 69 per cent of those polled called for Mr Yoon to state his position on the handbag controversy. 

Looking ahead, analysts said the rift – despite the hasty patch-up – may be politically costly for the PPP, but recovery is possible if the handbag controversy can be resolved.

Prof Kim said: “Some people are still pinning hopes on Han to pull off some magic and steer Yoon into asking his wife to offer an apology.”

Prof Lee agreed, saying: “I think the rift is already a cost for them. So it is important for them to manage the consequences properly so that the cost does not become larger than it is now.”