Former Korean history instructor Jeon Han-gil, who departed for Washington, D.C., in the United States in line with last month's Korea-U.S. summit schedule, said on the 8th on his YouTube broadcast that he had been offered that "it might be better to seek 'asylum'" in the United States. He also said he could not disclose his current whereabouts for personal safety.
Since the Dec. 3 martial law incident, Jeon has been expanding his activities within the conservative camp by opposing the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol and alleging election fraud. His YouTube channel "Jeon Han-gil News" has 530,000 subscribers. He also urged people to join the People Power Party as members, pledging to expand his influence within the party.
However, a move to distance from Jeon is emerging within the People Power Party. People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jae-seop said, "Representative Jang Dong-hyuk described Jeon Han-gil as an 'uibyeong,' which felt like effectively cutting ties by letting him operate outside the party." Assessments say interest in Jeon within the party has cooled rapidly.
Jeon has recently continued remarks flaunting his political presence, saying that the Democratic Party of Korea, former leader Lee Jae-myung, and former leader Han Dong-hoon fear him the most.
Meanwhile, even a "Jeon Han-gil fan club (Gye Mong Ryeong)" has appeared online. More than 16,000 members have gathered so far, and posts alleging election fraud as well as criticism of the current administration are being uploaded one after another.