President Yoon Suk Yeol (2nd from right, front) and Han Dong-hoon (left), former leader of the ruling People Power Party, are seen at a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Korea Freedom Foundation in Incheon, west of Seoul, on Thursday. (Yonhap)

Tensions between former ruling party chief Han Dong-hoon and the presidential office have surfaced again following allegations Han snubbed text messages from first lady Kim Keon Hee early this year, a development that threatens to consume the party's national convention just weeks away.

Han, who served as interim leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) ahead of the April 10 general elections, reportedly ignored five Telegram messages the first lady sent to him in January to offer to resolve a controversy at the time over her alleged illegal acceptance of a luxury bag in 2022.

Kim wrote in the text messages that she was sorry for causing trouble ahead of the elections and would make a public apology over the handbag issue if the party considered it necessary, according to the people who revealed the existence of the texts during a CBS radio broadcast Thursday.

Han, now one of four candidates running to become the new PPP leader through the July 23 national convention, has denied any wrongdoing, saying he delivered his stance on the need for an apology through "official channels," such as the presidential chief of staff and the senior presidential secretary for political affairs.

"Wouldn't it be strange even if I did respond (to the first lady's text)?" he said during a KBS interview Friday. "I have had a strong belief throughout my years in public service that areas such as personal relationships should have no involvement in carrying out my official duties."

Han claimed the contents of the text messages were modified, as he recalled the first lady's point was that there were "various circumstances" that prevented her from apologizing.

He further cast the revelation of the text messages as an attempt to meddle in the national convention, as rival candidates have immediately seized on the controversy to attack Han, arguing his actions contributed to the PPP's crushing defeat in the general elections.

Won Hee-ryong, a candidate who served as land minister under President Yoon Suk Yeol, wrote on Facebook on Sunday that Han should disclose the text messages or apologize.

Na Kyung-won, another candidate, said Saturday that Han made a clear mistake that effectively hurt the party.

Yoon Sang-hyun, also a candidate for PPP chief, said Han should have responded to the text messages and worked to resolve the handbag scandal together with the first lady, who was the person who created the controversy.

Amid the intensifying debate, the presidential office responded Sunday by strongly rejecting any suggestions of meddling in the campaign.

"The presidential office has never meddled or intervened in the People Power Party's national convention election process, and it will remain that way," a senior presidential official said. "We especially urge each candidate and their campaigns to pay attention to not drag the presidential office into the election."

Meanwhile, a group of pro-Yoon members of the PPP reportedly considered circulating a petition and holding a press conference Sunday to demand Han's withdrawal from the race.

They later canceled the plan after the PPP election management committee warned of a "firm response to actions that undermine party harmony."

"Please do not cancel the petition after being taken aback by bad public opinion but just do it like last time," Han wrote on Facebook on Sunday, referring to when dozens of PPP lawmakers signed a petition ahead of last year's PPP leadership election that ultimately forced Na Kyung-won, who was also a candidate then, to withdraw.

This is not the first time Yoon and Han have seemingly clashed over issues related to the first lady and elections.

In January, Han was asked by the presidential office to resign as party interim chief following tensions between the two over how to handle the luxury bag allegations and the party's candidate nomination process for the April general elections.

Han rejected the request, and he and the president were later seen visiting the site of a market fire together in a public display of reconciliation.

Han had been considered one of Yoon's closest confidants from their time as prosecutors and served as Yoon's first justice minister, with critics even calling him Yoon's "avatar," before their relations ultimately soured over the handbag scandal and other sensitive issues. (Yonhap)