- PPP unlikely to conduct sharp scrutiny in confirmation hearings
- Han Dong-hoon's rhetoric? Strong against attacks... 'tough on the strong, soft on the weak'
- Jang Dong-hyeok saying "'Oppa' clouds the essence"? An idle remark
- Explosive nature of 'oppa' and 'poison'... Jang should demand special counsel at a time like this
- Conservative base rallying behind Han... criticizing Jang for being passive
- Democratic Party's 'Han Dong-hoon Gate'? A self-destructive move
- Exposing whistleblower calls for strict legal accountability
- Jang going outside the political arena? A counterattack opportunity, is this really the time to beat a drum?
- If national convention were held now, Han would defeat Jang
- Choo Mi-ae's outspoken remarks? Signal of waning respect for Lee
■ Broadcast: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show (FM 103.5 MHz 7:00 – 9:00 AM)
■ Date: September 14, 2026 (Mon)
■ Host: Attorney Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Cho Gap-je, CEO of Chogabje.com
[Kim Tae-hyun] It is time to analyze politics through the eyes of conservatives with Cho Gap-je, CEO of Chogabje.com. Hello.
[Cho Gap-je] Hello.
[Kim Tae-hyun] The confirmation hearing season has begun today. Of the two nominees targeted by the opposition, nominee Yong Hye-in voluntarily withdrew. That means from the opposition's perspective, all firepower will be concentrated on Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won. How do you see it? Looking at how the People Power Party has handled things so far, do you think they will be able to sharply scrutinize nominee Kim Seung-won and the other cabinet nominees?
[Cho Gap-je] I think it will be difficult.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Why is that?
[Cho Gap-je] Because Representative Han Dong-hoon has run so far ahead, the public has gotten used to that standard. They would need to break an even more shocking exclusive than his.
[Kim Tae-hyun] That would make sense.
[Cho Gap-je] But it doesn't seem likely that they will.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Looking at yesterday, Representative Joo Jin-woo also raised several allegations concerning an association in nominee Kim Seung-won's constituency. Are you saying it doesn't get much attention because it lacks the explosive power of the new drug lobbying allegations raised by Representative Han Dong-hoon?
[Cho Gap-je] Where does Representative Han Dong-hoon's explosive power come from? He connects facts directly to legal principles. Then, moving very swiftly, he creates highly provocative terms—such as the 'oppa,' 'poison,' and 'lobbying' allegations. And when party leader Kim Min-seok said he would expel him, Han fired back, referring to someone who pocketed 900 million won and hung around hostesses.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Yes.
[Cho Gap-je] Those words might sound harsh, but he reacted like that in response to them saying they would expel him. Lately, he even says things like he will pull out their teeth if they bite him. In response to this, many in the public applaud, while some might get angry. But the bar of political rhetoric has been set so high. So I believe this confirmation hearing will struggle to meet the public's heightened expectations.
[Kim Tae-hyun] That is indeed a point. Some critics argue that Representative Han Dong-hoon has recently used rather harsh vocabulary, asking if he is going too far, or saying he looks like his former prosecutor self and that a political sniper cannot become a major statesman. What are your thoughts on that?
[Cho Gap-je] When his opponents speak forcefully, he responds in kind. When interacting with children, he uses very gentle words, and he even kneels before elderly women. But when a fierce attack is launched against him, he repays it with interest. So I do not really see it as excessively radical. He also made a point worth noting: politics is not subject to the Criminal Procedure Code. Politics must be conducted in political language—meaning one must fire direct hits.
[Kim Tae-hyun] But regarding 'Oppa-gate' and 'Poison-gate,' he emphasizes the word 'oppa.' Representative Han Dong-hoon's emphasis on 'oppa' implies that this is the essence of the matter.
[Cho Gap-je] That is correct.
[Kim Tae-hyun] He argues that a private brother-sister relationship crossed into the public sphere. But party leader Jang Dong-hyeok criticized this, saying that emphasizing 'oppa' could blur the essence of the indictment dismissal. How do you view this? Whose argument is right?
[Cho Gap-je] That is an idle argument.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Leader Jang's argument is?
[Cho Gap-je] Yes. Representative Han Dong-hoon laid out his strategy first—attacking on the premise that nominee Kim Seung-won was nominated precisely to withdraw the indictment, and that stopping this nomination makes withdrawing the indictment difficult. Amid that, the words 'oppa,' 'poison,' and 'lobbying' mixed together, creating explosive momentum. If Leader Jang Dong-hyeok wants to criticize, he should instead demand a special counsel investigation, which is far more important. The environment is so favorable for the People Power Party right now. There is overwhelming public support, and an aggressive forward like Han Dong-hoon is leading the charge. Then they should push for a special counsel probe.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Push this toward a special counsel instead?
[Cho Gap-je] Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun] You are saying Leader Jang should be the one talking about that?
[Cho Gap-je] Whether a special counsel happens or not is not Han Dong-hoon's responsibility. That is Leader Jang Dong-hyeok's responsibility. If he cannot secure a special counsel investigation even in such an environment, that is incompetence.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Looking at yesterday, Leader Jang posted something on Facebook that seemed to defend Representative Han Dong-hoon, asking why the Democratic Party only attacks Han. Has there been a change in atmosphere? Previously, even within the leadership, when Representative Woo Jae-joon suggested temporarily lifting Han Dong-hoon's disciplinary action to place him on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee as a hearing panelist, figures like Supreme Council Member Cho Kwang-han strongly pushed back. Has the current shifted?
[Cho Gap-je] Public opinion is shifting rapidly right now. Among conservatives, especially among People Power Party supporters, support for Han Dong-hoon is showing up at triple that of Jang Dong-hyeok. His own support base is shifting. Even those classified as hard-right among his base are now saying Han Dong-hoon is doing a great job.
[Kim Tae-hyun] In this confirmation hearing atmosphere?
[Cho Gap-je] Criticism is mounting over what Leader Jang Dong-hyeok is even doing. Conscious of this, the terrain of public opinion has decisively shifted so that he has no choice but to cheer on Han Dong-hoon, even if he may not want to.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Because the situation and public opinion are shifting, Leader Jang is also—
[Cho Gap-je] He is following along.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Right. While Representative Han Dong-hoon termed it 'Oppa-gate,' the Democratic Party is framing it as 'Han Dong-hoon Gate' or the 'Han Dong-hoon Incident,' shifting focus to illegal data leaks. The two sides are colliding. How do you see this unfolding going forward?
[Cho Gap-je] The Democratic Party has completely played a self-defeating move here.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Why is that?
[Cho Gap-je] In particular, they attacked and exposed the whistleblower. Isn't that a serious crime? The state has an obligation to protect a registered public interest whistleblower, yet they exposed the individual, and the claims they made were contrary to fact. They should be held strictly legally accountable for this. And the core of this case is that a highly dangerous new drug almost went on the market. Isn't that right?
[Kim Tae-hyun] Yes.
[Cho Gap-je] A dangerous new drug could have been marketed, potentially injuring or killing people who took it. The cause of this situation was that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, a state agency, succumbed to the political power of Representative Kim Seung-won and failed to perform its verification role properly, nearly allowing a drug suspected of toxicity to be sold on the market. Furthermore, looking at recent reports, they even conducted human trials.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Is that so?
[Cho Gap-je] They tested it on 93 people. This must be investigated: what drug was administered to those 93 individuals, and whether there are any adverse aftereffects. This must be investigated.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Understood. In any case, this is a favorable situation for the opposition People Power Party.
[Cho Gap-je] That's right.
[Kim Tae-hyun] One candidate has already dropped out, and various issues are surfacing regarding Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won. But the person who should be spearheading this—while parliamentary strategy is handled by the floor leader—is the party leader who holds the helm. Over the weekend, Leader Jang attended a 100-day rally at Olympic Park; I couldn't confirm if he wore a corsage, but I saw him beating a drum and receiving a cake. He was enthusiastically beating a drum. Footages of him drumming are being broadcast now, with many Taegeukgi flags visible. Leader Jang wore a hat and very casual clothing while beating the drum, and it looks like he didn't wear a flower. They were holding a 100-day rally while receiving a cake. How did you view that scene?
[Cho Gap-je] It is a comedy. Right now, Representative Han Dong-hoon has landed a decisive exclusive, which could be a historic scoop. It is shaking this administration, and divisions are already emerging within the ruling camp.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Within the ruling camp?
[Cho Gap-je] Within the ruling camp, within the administration. Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae launched an astonishing attack. And both the Rhyu Si-min and Jung Chung-rae factions have kept their mouths shut and remained silent. That means they are biding their time and looking for a chance to counterattack. This is a decisive opportunity, yet he is out beating a drum—does he think that will win him a nationwide by-election? It is as if he is living in a completely different neighborhood. While a fierce political struggle is underway over the fate of the administration and the future course of South Korea, it is like he is off playing in the South Pacific. So the person who will suffer the biggest blow, next to the Lee Jae-myung administration, is the Jang Dong-hyeok leadership. Caught in this Han Dong-hoon drive, Leader Jang Dong-hyeok's political relevance is weakening. At this rate, party members inside the People Power Party may soon start saying that Jang Dong-hyeok is no longer viable. The People Power Party's base has completely swung toward Han Dong-hoon. While there is some difference between general party supporters and hard-line members, I believe they will ultimately be pulled in that direction. Under such circumstances, even if a national convention were held right now—assuming Representative Han Dong-hoon is reinstated and runs—I think he would defeat Leader Jang Dong-hyeok. That is how much public sentiment has shifted.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Sparked by this confirmation hearing phase?
[Cho Gap-je] Han Dong-hoon's momentum is causing a tectonic shift across the South Korean political landscape.
[Kim Tae-hyun] In the conservative bloc?
[Cho Gap-je] Not just there, but on the other side as well.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Why on the Democratic Party side?
[Cho Gap-je] Because their approval ratings have dropped into the 30% range. That is why Governor Choo Mi-ae is speaking out like that.
[Kim Tae-hyun] What made the attack you mentioned earlier so astonishing? Governor Choo targeting the president—
[Cho Gap-je] When has a sitting governor from within the ruling party ever openly spoken like that against an incumbent president?
[Kim Tae-hyun] That is true. That is certainly true.
[Cho Gap-je] The fact that she feels able to do so means respect for President Lee Jae-myung has already weakened, and they feel they must look out for their own survival. For them, finding a way to survive means prioritizing the Democratic Party first: the Democratic Party is more important than Lee Jae-myung. The dynamic changes toward ensuring the Democratic Party does not lose the next election.
[Kim Tae-hyun] So you are saying that as the president's approval ratings decline, people from within are already rattling him.
[Cho Gap-je] Exactly. And that rattling has manifested in two ways. However, Governor Choo's argument makes no sense. She offered a strange diagnosis that approval ratings fell because reforms were insufficient rather than excessive, but putting that aside—
[Kim Tae-hyun] Saying he was co-opted by insurrectionist forces or something like that.
[Cho Gap-je] In any case, the most notable aspect is that Jung Chung-rae and Rhyu Si-min are keeping silent when this is hardly the time to stay quiet. Shouldn't they be attacking Representative Han Dong-hoon? Yet they are not attacking him.
[Kim Tae-hyun] That is true. Former leader Jung Chung-rae usually commands heavy firepower, so one would expect him to launch fierce attacks against Representative Han Dong-hoon during this confirmation hearing period, yet he is quiet.
[Cho Gap-je] He isn't doing it. Why isn't he?
[Kim Tae-hyun] That really is intriguing. Why do you think he isn't?
[Cho Gap-je] He must be preparing something, or waiting for the right timing.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Pardon?
[Cho Gap-je] He must be waiting for the right timing.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Timing? The timing to attack Representative Han Dong-hoon, or the timing to redirect arrows at the president like Governor Choo did?
[Cho Gap-je] Especially when party leader Kim Min-seok wrote Jung Chung-rae's name in his memo, Jung attacked him over that. Jung attacked Leader Kim Min-seok, but he is not attacking Representative Han Dong-hoon, who is also attacking Kim Min-seok.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Then former leader Jung Chung-rae has an entirely different aim right now?
[Cho Gap-je] I believe he is lying low and waiting for the right moment.
[Kim Tae-hyun] Understood. We will conclude our conversation with CEO Cho Gap-je of Cho Gap-je TV here today. That was CEO Cho Gap-je of Chogabje.com. Thank you.
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