Controversy Erupts as Far-Right Figure Jeon Han-gil Joins People's Power Party: Song Eon-seok Says 'No Need to Make a Fuss'

The Shocking Discovery: A Month-Late Revelation

The political world was rocked when it was revealed that Jeon Han-gil, a former Korean history instructor known for his far-right views and unwavering support for former President Yoon Suk-yeol, had quietly joined the People's Power Party a month earlier. The 54-year-old figure, whose real name is Jeon Yu-kwan, submitted his online party membership application on June 8th using his legal name, and the Seoul branch of the People's Power Party approved his membership the following day. What makes this situation particularly embarrassing for the party leadership is that they remained completely unaware of his membership for over a month, only discovering it when Jeon publicly announced his party affiliation at a Reset Korea event on July 14th.

The revelation sent shockwaves through the conservative party, which has been struggling to distance itself from the controversies surrounding former President Yoon's martial law declaration. Jeon Han-gil is no ordinary political figure – he's a YouTube personality with over 1.18 million subscribers who has been at the forefront of promoting election fraud conspiracy theories and organizing anti-impeachment rallies. His entry into the party represents a significant challenge for a political organization trying to rebrand itself and move away from the extreme rhetoric that has alienated moderate voters.

Song Eon-seok's Defiant Response: 'No Need for Commotion'

In the face of mounting criticism, Song Eon-seok, the People's Power Party's Emergency Response Committee Chairman and Floor Leader, took a surprisingly dismissive stance. On July 17th, Song posted on his Facebook account, stating there's no need to make a fuss about an individual's party membership. He emphasized that in principle, if there's no history of expulsion or defection, qualification screening for ordinary individuals joining the party is neither mandatory nor practically feasible to verify individually.

Song's initial response appeared to minimize the controversy, arguing that the party's self-purification capabilities should be trusted. However, as criticism intensified from within the party ranks, Song was forced to adopt a more cautious tone. By July 18th, he posted another Facebook message acknowledging that he was listening to and collecting various opinions about Jeon Han-gil, and had ordered a review of appropriate measures under party regulations along with confirmation of Jeon's words and actions. This shift in tone reflected the growing pressure from party members who viewed Jeon's membership as incompatible with the party's efforts to rebuild its image and credibility with the Korean public.

Internal Party Backlash: A Divided Conservative Movement

The reaction within the People's Power Party was swift and harsh, revealing deep divisions about the party's future direction. Former party leader Han Dong-hoon led the charge against Jeon's membership, posting on Facebook that the party should consider how the public would view the admission of someone who promotes election fraud conspiracy theories and serves as an icon of the 'Yoon Again' movement. Han's criticism struck at the heart of the party's identity crisis – whether to embrace or reject the extreme elements of Yoon's support base.

Kim Yong-tae, a former Emergency Response Committee Chairman, was even more direct in his condemnation. He argued that if he had known about Jeon's application during his tenure, he would have convened a party membership qualification review committee to block the entry. Kim emphasized that the party must completely sever ties with martial law supporters and those who promote conspiracy theories, describing them as pseudo-conservatives rather than genuine conservatives. The intensity of Kim's opposition reflected broader concerns within the party about being associated with anti-democratic elements.

Yoon Hee-sook, the party's Innovation Committee Chairman, offered a more measured but equally concerned response. While acknowledging that preventing someone's party membership might be difficult, she warned that amplifying such individuals' voices was the responsibility of politicians, and that such actions were making the party increasingly precarious. Her comments highlighted the delicate balance the party was trying to strike between democratic principles and political pragmatism.

Jeon Han-gil's Bold Political Ambitions Revealed

What initially appeared to be a simple party membership soon revealed itself as part of a much more ambitious political strategy. In interviews following the controversy, Jeon Han-gil made it clear that his goals extended far beyond mere party membership. He claimed that approximately 100,000 of his YouTube subscribers had also joined the People's Power Party as members, creating a potentially significant voting bloc within the party. This assertion, while unverified, raised serious concerns about organized influence operations within the party's internal processes.

Even more provocatively, Jeon suggested he might consider running for a position on the party's Supreme Council if the upcoming party convention featured only candidates who sought to distance themselves from former President Yoon. In a phone interview with Herald Economy on July 18th, he stated that if candidates emerged who wanted to draw lines with Yoon Suk-yeol, he would enter the race himself to protect the former president. This threat represented a direct challenge to the party's reform efforts and suggested that Jeon viewed his membership as a platform for continuing his pro-Yoon activism within the party structure.

Jeon's rhetoric became increasingly confrontational as the controversy grew. He directly challenged Song Eon-seok, telling the party leadership that they needed to embrace him rather than maintain distance, warning that the party would fail if they rejected his support. This aggressive approach demonstrated that Jeon had no intention of remaining a quiet party member but rather planned to actively influence the party's direction and candidate selection processes.

Community Response: Digital Battleground and Public Opinion

The online response to Jeon Han-gil's party membership revealed the deep polarization within Korean conservative circles. On platforms like YouTube and various Korean online communities, reactions ranged from enthusiastic support from his existing follower base to harsh criticism from moderate conservatives who viewed his entry as damaging to the party's credibility. The controversy quickly became a trending topic across Korean social media platforms, with hashtags related to his membership generating thousands of posts and comments.

Traditional conservative online communities showed mixed reactions, with some users expressing concern that the party was being infiltrated by extreme elements while others argued that all conservatives should be welcomed regardless of their specific views. The debate extended to questions about the nature of modern conservatism in Korea and whether the People's Power Party should serve as a big tent for all anti-liberal voices or maintain stricter ideological boundaries. These discussions reflected broader tensions within the Korean conservative movement about how to balance principle with political pragmatism in the post-Yoon era.

Critics on various platforms, including Naver and Daum comment sections, expressed frustration with what they saw as the party's inability to control its membership and maintain coherent standards. Many questioned how a political party could be unaware of such a high-profile figure joining their ranks, suggesting systemic problems with the party's organizational capabilities and oversight mechanisms. The incident became a symbol of the party's broader struggles with internal management and strategic direction.

Cultural Context: Understanding Korea's Political Polarization

For international observers, Jeon Han-gil's entry into the People's Power Party represents more than a simple membership controversy – it reflects the deep polarization that has characterized Korean politics since the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye and the subsequent election of Moon Jae-in. Jeon emerged as a prominent figure during the period following Yoon Suk-yeol's martial law declaration, when pro-Yoon supporters organized massive rallies claiming electoral fraud and demanding the president's reinstatement. His YouTube channel became a central hub for conspiracy theories and anti-impeachment messaging, making him a polarizing figure who represents the most extreme elements of Korean conservatism.

The controversy also highlights the unique role that private academy instructors, known as hagwon teachers, play in Korean society. Jeon's background as a Korean history instructor at MegaGong, a major civil service exam preparation institute, gave him credibility and a platform that he later leveraged into political influence. This transformation from educator to political agitator illustrates how educational authority can be converted into political capital in Korean society, particularly among young conservatives preparing for government service.

The incident occurs against the backdrop of the People's Power Party's desperate attempts to rehabilitate its image following the Yoon administration's collapse. The party faces the challenging task of maintaining its conservative base while appealing to moderate voters who were alienated by the martial law controversy and subsequent political chaos. Jeon's membership represents a test of whether the party can successfully navigate between these competing pressures or whether it will be pulled further toward the political extremes by its most vocal supporters.