South Korea’s presidential office announced it has postponed the dinner meeting between President Yoon Suk-yeol and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon, which was scheduled for Aug. 30, until after Chuseok next month. The decision comes just two days after the meeting was proposed to enhance government-party communication and unity. The postponement is reportedly due to disagreements over Han’s proposal to delay the expansion of medical school admissions. The ongoing clashes between the President and the ruling party leader over key issues have become too frequent to count.
The PPP proposed maintaining the current policy of increasing medical school admissions by 1,497 students next year but delaying further increases the following year. However, the presidential office immediately rejected this, asserting there would be no change in government policy. Han argued that protecting public health and safety is a national duty, and the party must reflect public sentiment, while the Presidential Office insisted that the increase remains unchanged. Within the PPP, there is a split between those supporting a delay and those backing the government’s stance.
Disagreements on major issues between the government and the ruling party are natural, especially on contentious matters like medical school admissions. To effectively address such conflicts, thorough prior discussions and coordination are necessary to avoid governmental confusion and ensure public reassurance. Han reportedly suggested the delay to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who was reportedly negative about it. If this was the case, further discussions should have been held before making a unilateral announcement. The presidential office should also have engaged more constructively with the party’s proposal, rather than immediately rejecting it. Instead, both sides have turned the issue into an emotional fight, no wonder some criticize them as a “dysfunctional” administration.
President Yoon and PPP leader Han have frequently clashed over various issues. When Han mentioned the “public perspective” on First Lady Kim Keon-hee’s luxury handbag scandal, the presidential office demanded his resignation. Conflicts also arose over former Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop, former Senior Secretary for Civil and Social Agenda Hwang Sang-moo, and proportional representation nominations during the general election. They also clashed over the revision of the Corporal Chae special prosecution law and the pardon of former South Gyeongsang Governor Kim Kyoung-soo. It is hard to believe these individuals once worked closely together.
After being elected as party leader, Han declared that his goal is “the success of the Yoon administration,” while President Yoon described their relationship as a “shared destiny.” Yet, both seem more focused on advancing their own agendas rather than engaging in communication or collaboration. Politics requires reconciling differing views and interests to reach consensus, yet the President and the ruling party leader, who should be upholding these principles, appear to neglect consultation, compromise, and respect. With two years and nine months remaining in the term, how can their governance be expected to proceed effectively?
