President Yoon Suk Yeol shakes hands with Han Dong-hoon, chairman of the ruling People Power Party, ahead of his departure for the Czech Republic from Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Sept. 19. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol will hold one-on-one talks with Han Dong-hoon, leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), after next week's by-elections, the presidential office said Thursday.

Yoon's decision to hold a private meeting with Han comes at Han's request. Earlier, Han made repeated requests for a separate meeting with the president to discuss pressing issues, such as the impasse over the government's medical reform and controversies surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee, including allegations of stock manipulation, interference in state affairs and graft involving a luxury handbag.

"The president has accepted suggestions from his aides about the need for a private meeting with Han. As Han is busy with by-election campaign events, we will fix the date after the elections," a senior presidential official said.

The by-elections, set for Wednesday, will fill the top posts in Busan's Geumjeong District, Incheon's Ganghwa County and the counties of Yeonggwang and Gokseong in South Jeolla Province, as well as the post of superintendent at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.

Political analysts say Yoon changed his mind abruptly about meeting with Han in the wake of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) ramping up attacks on the president and the first lady, with some even talking about his impeachment.

"If Yoon doesn't change at this point when public opinion is unrelentingly negative on him, it means his state affairs will be doomed to fail. If he fails to resolve the Kim Keon Hee scandal now, it is going to weigh on him until the end of his presidential term," said Kim Sang-il, a political commentator.

Eom Kyeong-young, director of the Zeitgeist Institute, a private political think tank, said the latest poll shows Yoon's deep unpopularity.

Yoon's approval rating fell to 24 percent, the lowest since he took office in May 2022, according to a poll conducted by the National Barometer Survey. The previous low was 25 percent two weeks ago. The National Barometer Survey refers to a biweekly poll of public opinion jointly gauged by four pollsters — Embrain Public, KSTAT Research, Korea Research and Hankook Research.

"The president's approval rating is below the PPP's approval rating (at 27 percent). This suggests that Yoon suffered a major blow from the Yoon-Han clash," Eom said.

First lady Kim Keon Hee arrives at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, Laos, Wednesday. Yonhap

Yoon and Han will likely discuss ways to counter the opposition's intensifying offensive as the DPK has been targeting the first lady's allegations, including her alleged interference in the ruling party's candidate nominations ahead of the April general elections.

"The DPK is planning to take the first step in investigating the first lady by adopting a permanent special counsel system. We will also seek a special counsel probe simultaneously to expose her extensive meddling in state affairs. If Han is able to read public sentiment, he should not ask Kim to refrain from her public activities, but advise her to cooperate fully with the special counsel," Rep. Jo Seoung-lae, chief spokesperson of the DPK, said Thursday. A day earlier, Han said he believed the first lady should refrain from public activities.

Observers said expectations are low for a meaningful outcome unless Yoon makes a bold decision to accept the special counsel offer.

"It would have been better if they had met before the October by-elections, and the likelihood of any significant breakthroughs appears slim, but the meeting itself is a positive sign. Yoon should let go of the hierarchical government-party relations and approve of Han's leadership," Eom said.

"The success of the meeting depends on how much Yoon is willing to concede on tricky issues," Kim said. "It's best if Yoon makes a public apology and accepts a special counsel offer to clear all allegations surrounding the first lady. Yoon and Han may exchange their views on the impasse over the medical reform, but it's too late to discuss the medical school quota for 2025."