Cho Kwang-han, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party (PPP), took aim at an unnamed figure on January 25, stating "there is someone who only creates internal strife" and criticizing them for "causing chaos within the party while unable to say a single word about the arrogant National Assembly operations by the Lee Jae-myung government and the ruling party." The remarks are widely interpreted as targeting former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon.
In a social media post that day, Cho opened with a metaphor: "Pears spoil when placed with apples. The ethylene released by apples causes pears to soften and rot quickly—some things simply don't go well together."
"Human relationships are similar," he continued. "According to the Standard Korean Dictionary, a political party is 'an organization formed by people with the same political views to seize power and realize political ideals.' Yet there is someone who persistently shakes their own party and only creates internal strife."
He added, "Wherever that person has been, it has always been noisy and rife with conflict."
Political observers believe the remarks target Han and, more broadly, the non-mainstream faction supporting him. Earlier this month, Cho engaged in a heated exchange with Rep. Jeong Seong-guk, a pro-Han lawmaker, during a PPP general meeting.
"They cannot utter a single word about the arrogant National Assembly operations by the Lee Jae-myung government and the Democratic Party, yet they cause chaos only within the party," Cho said. "They don't even open their mouths about the legislative rampage by the ruling party that is destroying the separation of powers."
He concluded, "The dialect phrase 'What's really important here?' keeps coming to mind. It's truly regrettable and frustrating."