Han Dong-hoon’s taunt “Don’t hesitate” draws a sarcastic response
Cho counters by quoting foreign song 'FucO OOO'
To the ruling party: “You’ve lost vigilance as the People Power Party self-destructs”
He also insists, “We will become the ruling party”
Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, has stepped up his criticism of both the Democratic Party and former People Power leader Han Dong-hoon as South Korea prepares for the June 3 local elections and parliamentary by-elections. He has warned the Democratic Party not to become complacent and has traded barbs with Han on social media. Observers say he appears to be using noise marketing around low single-digit poll numbers to raise his profile ahead of the vote.
Political circles say Cho’s rhetoric sharpened on the 31st as he is widely expected to run in the June 3 parliamentary by-election. His heightened tone followed Han’s remark on Coupang Play’s SNL Korea Season 8 on the 28th: “Don’t hesitate—let’s meet. I have no reason to avoid it, but I think that person will.” Cho responded by borrowing the title of a foreign singer’s song.
Cho posted a performance video of British singer Lily Allen’s song “FucO OOO” to his Facebook page. He did not specify whether the post was directly aimed at Han’s comment.
Han fired back the next day on KBS’s SasaGeonGeon, referencing the video Cho posted. “Cho used a very strong insult,” Han said. “People argue whether that insult was directed at me or at President Lee Jae-myung, who didn’t make a nomination accommodation for him. Even Trump wouldn’t use language like that.”
Cho responded again. On CBS Radio’s Hanpan Seungbu the same day, he said Lily Allen is one of his favorite artists and that the song’s lyrics mock people who promote hatred and discrimination. He added that Han “has excessive narcissism, interpreting everything—including politics—as revolving around himself.”
Notably, the artist herself said at an April 2009 concert in Los Angeles that the song was originally written about former U.S. President George W. Bush. Cho’s reference to “hatred and discrimination” appears to draw on an interpretation posted on Namuwiki.
Cho also said he doesn’t care where Han decides to run and that Han’s moves won’t determine his own choices. “If I set a course and he follows, I’ll respond then,” Cho said, adding that although people said SNL mentioned him, he still hadn’t watched that episode. (He did, however, appear on SNL Korea Season 6 in September 2024.)
He has also warned the Democratic Party not to become complacent. At the party’s Supreme Council meeting the previous day, Cho said, “The People Power Party, which has been accused of shielding those involved in the rebellion, is heading toward self-destruction, and the ruling party seems to have lost its vigilance.” He argued that President Lee Jae-myung’s high approval rating has been a strong driver of support for the governing party.
Cho suggested his Innovation Party could one day become the ruling party. “What we must guard against now are complacency and division,” he said. “Even if the Innovation Party becomes the ruling party, we will carry out political reform. We will become the ruling party and implement political reform.” After merger talks collapsed in January, the possibility of an electoral alliance with the Democratic Party surfaced but has since stalled; Cho appears frustrated by the lack of progress.
Meanwhile, polling firm Realmeter, commissioned by Energy Economy Newspaper, conducted a wireless automated response poll on March 26–27 for the fourth week of March. It found the Innovation Party’s support at 1.6% (down 1.4 percentage points from the previous week). The Democratic Party registered 51.5%, and the People Power Party 30.6%. For details, see the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission’s website.
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