-PPP unlikely to conduct sharp scrutiny at confirmation hearings
-Han Dong-hoon's language? Tough against attacks... 'Strong against the strong, weak to the weak'
-Jang Dong-hyeok saying "'Oppa' muddies the essence"? An idle remark
-Explosive nature of 'oppa and poison'... Jang should demand special counsel at a time like this
-Conservative support rising for Han... Criticisms over what Jang is doing
-Democratic Party's 'Han Dong-hoon Gate'? An own goal
-Exposing whistleblower must carry heavy legal liability
-Jang Dong-hyeok taking it outside parliament? It's a chance to counterattack, is this the time to beat a drum?
-If national convention were held now, Han Dong-hoon would defeat Jang Dong-hyeok
-Choo Mi-ae's pointed remarks? Sign of waning respect for Lee
 
■ Broadcast: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show (FM 103.5 MHz 7:00 to 9:00)
■ Date: Monday, September 14, 2026
■ Host: Attorney Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Cho Gap-je, CEO of ChoGapJe.com
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: It's time to diagnose the political arena through conservative eyes. Here with us is Cho Gap-je, CEO of ChoGapJe.com. Hello.
 
▶Cho Gap-je: Hello.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Starting today, the confirmation hearing season has begun. Between the two candidates targeted by the opposition, nominee Yong Hye-in voluntarily withdrew, so from the opposition's standpoint, all firepower will now be focused on Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won. How do you see it? Looking at how things are going now, do you think the People Power Party will be able to sharply vet nominee Kim Seung-won and other Cabinet nominees?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: I think it will be difficult.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Why is that?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: Because lawmaker Han Dong-hoon has moved so far ahead that the public has grown accustomed to it, so they would need to break an exclusive even more shocking than that.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: That makes sense.
 
▶Cho Gap-je: But that doesn't seem likely.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Then, looking at yesterday, lawmaker Joo Jin-woo also raised various allegations related to a cooperative in nominee Kim Seung-won's constituency. Does that mean it isn't getting attention because it lacks the explosive impact of the new drug lobbying allegations raised by lawmaker Han Dong-hoon?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: But where does lawmaker Han Dong-hoon's explosive power come from? It comes from the facts, which he then links to legal principles. On top of that, he acts very quickly while tossing out sensational phrases like "oppa, poison, lobbying." And when Leader Kim Min-seok said he would expel him, Han fired back, calling him someone who pocketed 900 million won and hung around with hostesses, and so forth.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
 
▶Cho Gap-je: While those words may sound radical, it was in response to threats of expulsion. And lately, he says things like, if you bite, I'll pull your teeth out. In response to this, how should I put it, many people applaud while some get angry. But the bar set by his rhetoric has become so high. That's why I think it will be difficult for these confirmation hearings to meet the public's heightened expectations.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: To that point, some people criticize lawmaker Han Dong-hoon for using rather radical language recently, asking if he is going too far, or saying he looks like his past prosecutor self, or that a political sniper cannot become a major politician. What are your thoughts on those negative views?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: When the other side speaks harshly, he responds with equal strength. When playing with children, he uses very gentle words, and he will kneel down before elderly women. But when a fierce attack comes at him, he gives it back with something extra. So I don't think it really appears too radical. He makes a point that is quite worth noting: politics is not governed by the Criminal Procedure Code. Politics must be conducted in political language. In other words, you have to fire direct hits. That seems to be his point.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: But he talks about 'Oppa-gate' and 'Poison-gate,' emphasizing 'oppa.' Lawmaker Han Dong-hoon emphasizing 'oppa' suggests that it is the essence of the matter, right?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: That's right.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: He's saying that a private relationship between an older brother figure and a younger sister entered the public realm. But Leader Jang Dong-hyeok criticizes this, saying that emphasizing 'oppa' could blur the essence of dropping the indictments. How do you view this? Which argument is correct?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: That's an idle argument.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Leader Jang's argument?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: Yes. Han Dong-hoon attacks after laying out the strategy that nominee Kim Seung-won was nominated precisely to drop the indictments, so stopping him makes dropping the charges difficult. In doing so, words like 'oppa,' 'poison,' and 'lobbying' swirl together, creating explosive momentum. If Leader Jang Dong-hyeok wants to criticize that, he should instead be demanding a special counsel, which is far more important right now. The People Power Party has such favorable circumstances. There is overwhelming public support, and a fierce attacker like Han Dong-hoon is leading from the front. Then they should take this to a special counsel.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Take this to a special counsel instead?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: Yes.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Leader Jang should be the one saying that?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: Whether a special counsel is launched or not is not Han Dong-hoon's responsibility. It is Leader Jang Dong-hyeok's responsibility. If he cannot secure a special counsel even in this environment, that is incompetence.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: But looking at yesterday, Leader Jang posted on Facebook something that could be seen as defending lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, asking why the Democratic Party only attacks Han. Has there been some kind of shift? Because previously within the leadership, when lawmaker Woo Jae-joon suggested temporarily lifting Han Dong-hoon's disciplinary penalty so he could sit on the Legislation and Judiciary Committee for the confirmation hearings, Supreme Council member Cho Kwang-han and others pushed back strongly. Has the atmosphere changed?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: Public opinion is shifting rapidly right now. Currently, among conservatives, especially PPP supporters, support for Han Dong-hoon is showing up at three times that of Jang Dong-hyeok. So his own base of support is shifting. Even those classified as far-right within his base are now saying Han Dong-hoon is doing a good job.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: In this confirmation hearing season?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: And criticisms are emerging asking what Leader Jang Dong-hyeok is doing. Conscious of that, the landscape of public opinion has clearly shifted to where he has no choice but to cheer on Han Dong-hoon, even if reluctantly.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Because public opinion has shifted, Leader Jang is also—
 
▶Cho Gap-je: He's following it.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Right. While lawmaker Han Dong-hoon called it 'Oppa-gate,' the Democratic Party is framing it as 'Han Dong-hoon-gate' or the 'Han Dong-hoon affair,' shifting the focus toward illegal data leaks. The two sides are clashing. How do you see this unfolding moving forward?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: That is completely an own goal by the Democratic Party.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Why?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: Especially because they attacked and exposed the whistleblower. Isn't that a serious crime? The state has a duty to protect a person registered as a public interest whistleblower, yet they exposed the individual, and the claims they made are completely contrary to the facts. They will have to be held strictly legally accountable for this. Furthermore, the core of this case is that a very dangerous new drug was on the verge of being put on the market. Isn't that right?
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
 
▶Cho Gap-je: A dangerous new drug was about to hit the market, in a situation where people who took it could have died or been harmed. What created this situation was that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, a state agency, yielded to lawmaker Kim Seung-won's political influence and failed to carry out its verification role properly, nearly allowing a drug that could be suspected of being toxic to be marketed and sold. And looking at recent reports, they even conducted human trials with it.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Is that so?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: They tested it on 93 people. This must be investigated: what was the drug administered to those 93 people, and whether there were side effects or not.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Understood. In any case, it's a favorable situation for the opposition People Power Party right now.
 
▶Cho Gap-je: That's right.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: One person has dropped out anyway, and various allegations are emerging regarding Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won. But the person who should be spearheading this—of course, floor leaders handle floor strategy, but the party leader should hold the reins and lead from the front. Over the weekend, Leader Jang went to the 100-day rally at Olympic Park; I couldn't confirm if he wore a flower, but I saw him beating a drum and receiving a cake. He was beating the drum vigorously. Footage of him beating the drum is playing now, with many Taegeukgi (national flags) visible. Leader Jang was wearing a hat and very casual clothes while drumming, and looking at it, he didn't wear a flower. They held a 100-day rally while receiving a cake. How did you view that scene?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: Right now, this is a comedy. Lawmaker Han Dong-hoon has landed a decisive scoop, potentially a historic scoop. It is shaking this administration, and divisions are already emerging within the regime.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Within the ruling camp?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: Within the ruling camp, inside the administration. Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae has launched a startling attack. And the two factions of Rhyu Si-min and Jung Chung-rae are keeping their mouths shut and staying quiet. That means they are exercising patience and looking for an opportunity to counterattack. This is a decisive chance, yet by beating drums and the like, can he win nationwide by-elections? He's living in a completely different world. In a sense, right now, a desperate political struggle is underway over the fate of the administration and the future course of the Republic of Korea, yet it's like he is off playing in the South Pacific. So the ones who will take the biggest hit this time, after the Lee Jae-myung administration, will be the Jang Dong-hyeok leadership. Leader Jang Dong-hyeok's reason for being is weakening severely as he gets swept up in Han Dong-hoon's drive, and if that happens, voices from within the party saying that Jang Dong-hyeok will no longer do could start coming from party members. The PPP support base has turned completely toward Han Dong-hoon, and while there is a slight gap between PPP supporters and hardline party members, I believe they will eventually follow suit. So even if, for example, a national convention were held now—assuming lawmaker Han Dong-hoon is reinstated and a national convention takes place—I think he would defeat Leader Jang Dong-hyeok. That is how much the structure of public opinion is changing.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Triggered by this confirmation hearing season?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: Due to Han Dong-hoon's sprint, a seismic shift is taking place in South Korea's political landscape.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: In the conservative camp?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: Not only there, but on the other side as well.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Why on the Democratic Party's side?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: Because their approval ratings dropped into the 30% range, which is why Governor Choo Mi-ae is saying such things.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: So regarding the startling attack you mentioned earlier, why do you find it so surprising? Governor Choo Mi-ae attacking the president—
 
▶Cho Gap-je: When has a Gyeonggi governor ever spoken so openly against an incumbent president from within the ruling party?
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Right. That's true.
 
▶Cho Gap-je: But the fact that she thinks that is possible means respect for President Lee Jae-myung has already weakened, and they feel, "Now we must find our own way to survive." For those people, finding a way to survive means prioritizing the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party is more important than Lee Jae-myung. The dynamic is shifting toward ensuring the Democratic Party does not lose the next election.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: So you're saying that because the president's approval rating has dropped a bit, they are already shaking the president from within.
 
▶Cho Gap-je: Exactly. The shaking has appeared in two ways. But Governor Choo's claim makes no sense. She made the strange diagnosis that approval ratings dropped because they should have done more reform but did less, but setting that aside.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Something like having been co-opted by insurrectionist forces.
 
▶Cho Gap-je: In any case, the most noteworthy thing is that now is not the time for the two figures, Jung Chung-rae and Rhyu Si-min, to keep their mouths shut and stay quiet. Shouldn't they be attacking lawmaker Han Dong-hoon? Yet they are not attacking.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: That's true. Because former leader Jung Chung-rae has strong firepower, one would expect him to attack lawmaker Han Dong-hoon very fiercely during this hearing season, but he's quiet.
 
▶Cho Gap-je: He's not doing it. Why isn't he doing it?
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: That really is intriguing. Then why isn't he doing it?
 
▶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. Timing to attack lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, or timing to turn his sights on the president, like Governor Choo?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: Especially since he attacked Leader Kim Min-seok for putting Jung Chung-rae's name in his notepad. He attacks Leader Kim Min-seok, while not attacking lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, who is also attacking Leader Kim Min-seok.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Then former leader Jung Chung-rae has a different objective right now?
 
▶Cho Gap-je: I believe he is biding his time and waiting for the right moment.
 
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Understood. That will be all for today's discussion with Cho Gap-je, CEO of ChoGapJe TV. That was Cho Gap-je, CEO of ChoGapJe.com. Thank you.

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