People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon, right, holds hands with Yoon Il-hyun, the conservative party candidate for the mayor of Geumjeong district in Wednesday's by-elections in Busan on Tuesday. (Yonhap)

In the weeks leading up to Wednesday’s by-elections for Seoul’s new education superintendent and four local government heads, ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon has been exceptionally busy.

Han has visited Busan six times since Sept. 11, so far, in a bid to sway voters into backing the conservative candidate and tax accountant-turned-politician Yoon Il-hyun for the next Geumjeong district head. Busan has been considered the conservative party’s home turf for decades, but critics expect a close race to unfold between Yoon and liberal candidate and lawyer Kim Gyung-ji. Yoon’s dwindling popularity among right-leaning voters reflected in his drop in approval rate, has become an advantage for Kim in the race, observers say.

Han has been apparently going the extra mile for the by-elections because if he fails to secure the conservative bloc at least in the Geumjeong district, it will reflect poorly on his leadership ability, according to political commentators here.

“It is extremely rare for the leader of the political party to be involved in such by-elections,” said Park Sang-byung, a political commentator, via phone.

“Busan is an area where the People Power Party won the previous by-elections by a landslide. If the conservative bloc fails to secure Geumjeong district, then Han will be dealt with a heavy blow,” he added.

The timing of the by-elections, which is in line with a growing political rift between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Han, over several issues surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee, is another reason why Han has to secure enough votes, according to the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party Chair Cho Kuk. Han is likely to step down under pressure from Yoon and the pro-Yoon faction within the People Power Party if the conservative bloc suffers heavy losses in the by-elections, he added.

“Geumjeong district has been called a long-time home turf of the conservative People Power Party, but if (Kim Gyung-ji) who is a candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea and (backed by) the Rebuilding Korea Party wins, there will be a huge controversy within the inner leadership circle within the conservative party,” Cho said in a Monday CBS radio interview.

When asked whether he thinks Han would have to step down from his leadership role under such circumstances, Cho replied, “He would have to – even if (Kim Gyung-ji) loses by a small margin, Han would enter a crisis (regarding his leadership within the party).”

Cho explained that Han’s recent decision to publicly call for a personnel overhaul of the presidential office citing suspicions that around seven officials are either directly or indirectly communicating with the first lady has put him at further risk. Yoon and Kim Keon Hee will hold Han responsible for the losses, according to Cho.

Han on Monday called for the reshuffle in the presidential office, which he claims would serve as an opportunity to refute allegations that the first lady has been inappropriately meddling in state affairs through her connections in the office.

Han told reporters following a party supreme council meeting on Monday that Kim Keon Hee is “not a person that holds any official position,” so “such political connections should not exist.” He said that if the presidential office accepts his request to carry out the reshuffle, it would be “an opportunity for change and transformation” as well as “restoration of the public trust.”

Yoon and Han are set to hold a one-on-one meeting early next week with multiple allegations against Kim Keon Hee, including her involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, her interference with the ruling party candidate nominations ahead of the April 10 general election and her acceptance of a luxury handbag, likely to be high on the agenda.