Han Donghoon: “Both Major Parties Gripped by Fears of Nomination and Fandom Exclusion... Bottom-Up Nominations Needed”

On the 3rd, independent lawmaker Han Donghoon said, "As the saying goes, 'A spectre is haunting Europe - the spectre of communism,' the (major) two parties are being ruled by two fears: being excluded from public office nominations and being excluded from extreme fandom politics." He added, "Bottom-up nominations must be made law."

Independent lawmaker Han Donghoon delivers opening remarks at a debate titled "Party Reform: What Should Be Done and How?" at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on Nov. 3, 2026. Photo by Yoon Dongju

Han made the remarks at a seminar titled "Party Reform: What Should Be Done and How?" held that morning at the National Assembly Members' Office Building and co-hosted with lawmakers Kim Ki-hyun and Yoon Sang-hyun. "Both parties are gripped by these fears and are being run like private circles, with an attitude of 'We must take control of the party at all costs' and 'We can decide among ourselves,'" he said.

Addressing his expulsion and the repeated calls for his reinstatement since the December 3 emergency martial law declaration, Han said, "This ultimately comes down to the structure of political parties. If the system ensured that candidates who could win elections received nominations, it would not matter who controlled the party. But the current system is distorted: people with a chance of winning are unable to run for office."

Han also said, "The core of party reform is overcoming the fear that one could be excluded from nominations depending on who controls the party, and the fear of becoming a target for exclusion from extreme fandom politics." He added, "We must create a system that produces the same outcome regardless of who controls the party, and through which the public can benefit."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.