Han Dong-hoon, the former leader who was expelled from the People Power Party, visited Daegu last week and will visit Busan this week.
On the 2nd, the former leader said on Facebook, "This Saturday (the 7th) at lunchtime, I will cheer on the merchants at Gupo Market in Busan and meet citizens," adding, "After that, I plan to walk along Oncheoncheon again—the path we walked with citizens during the come-from-behind victory in the Geumjeong election—and meet citizens."
Earlier, as his first public move after expulsion, the former leader visited Seomun Market in Daegu on the 27th of last month and said, "Whether it turns to porridge or rice, I will step up," hinting at an independent run in the National Assembly by-elections to be held alongside the June 3 local elections. He also said, "To rebuild the conservative bloc, we must sever the 'Yoon Suk-yeol line.'"
The Gupo Market in Busan that the former leader is visiting this week is located in "Buk-gu Gap, Busan," where a National Assembly by-election is highly likely if Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Chun Jae-soo runs for Busan mayor. Following his trip to Daegu last time, there is growing interpretation that the former leader is visiting, one after another, areas where he is highly likely to run in by-elections.
Meanwhile, at a closed-door supreme council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, party leader Jang Dong-hyeok was reportedly heard referring to pro-Han (pro–Han Dong-hoon) lawmakers who accompanied the expelled former leader on the Daegu visit and offered public support, saying, "I consider it an act of disloyalty to the party."
According to multiple attendees, supreme council member Kim Min-su, a member of the party leadership faction, pointed out, "It is a highly inappropriate act of disloyalty for our party's lawmakers to trail during the local election period a person whose expulsion has gone through the party's ethics committee procedure," and it was reported that Jang and other leadership figures also expressed the view that supporting an expelled independent-hopeful candidate would be inappropriate.
In response, youth supreme council member Woo Jae-jun, who accompanied the former leader on the Daegu schedule, reportedly countered, "The former leader is someone who says he wants to return to our party and that our party needs to do well. If so, I think joining forces to fight in the local elections helps the party."