Ruling People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon delivers his inauguration speech during a ceremony at the party's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps

Han Dong-hoon, the former justice minister who is widely viewed as the next flag bearer of the conservative bloc, took the helm of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) as its interim leader, Tuesday, vowing to launch a major offensive against the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), whose mainstream members he accused of being weighed down by an outdated dissident mindset.

Bucking expectations that he will run in next April's general elections in a Seoul constituency or for proportional representation, Han made it clear he would not seek a National Assembly seat.

“The majority-holding party, whose main task has been blocking serious crimes from being punished, is going out of control to ruin the country's present and future, and we have to stop it,” Han said during his inauguration speech at the party's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul.

“We also have to root out the privilege-based politics by activist-turned-politicians who have been living off such a party and ruling over the people for decades,” he said referring to a group of pro-democracy former activists who became DPK lawmakers and are commonly described as the "86 generation" for going to university in the 1980s and born in the 1960s.

Han's comments were aimed at DPK Chairman Lee Jae-myung and his loyal supporters in and outside the party. Lee has been appearing in court for his alleged involvements in a land development scandal in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and a series of other charges. When he was justice minister earlier this year, Han asked the National Assembly to authorize Lee's arrest on those charges.

Han was officially sworn in as the party's interim leader during a PPP national committee meeting that took place online earlier in the day.

Out of 824 national committee members, 650 participated in the online meeting and 96.5 percent approved the new interim chief. The national committee is the second-largest decision-making body of the party following its national convention.

Han's appointment came as the country is set to hold general elections on April 10 to elect lawmakers who will form the 22nd National Assembly, as the PPP sought to have a fresh leader salvage the party from a potential election defeat.

“We have to take a good look at why we are unable to overwhelm the DPK, even though that party has a leader who appears in court several times a week on criminal charges,” Han said. “Some are saying the PPP is doing well, but lagging behind the DPK for no reason. They are wrong.”

Supporters of ruling People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon hold banners supporting him in front of the party's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps

Han, an outspoken former prosecutor, has long been considered as the PPP's next presidential candidate, as he has been hugely popular among conservative voters due to his clean-cut looks, sharp rhetoric and unyielding stance during arguments with opposition lawmakers.

At the same time, he has been described as President Yoon Suk Yeol's protege, because he worked with Yoon — also a former prosecutor — in multiple investigation teams at the prosecution.

Han said doing the right thing for the people should be the party's top priority and PPP members' individual interests should come after that. He also pledged not to run in the upcoming general election, neither in a constituency nor for a proportional representative seat.

He also stressed that the PPP will only select candidates who promise to give up a lawmaker's privilege of being immune to prosecution.

The most urgent task Han faces is addressing former PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok's planned departure from the party.

Lee has been butting heads with the president over his leadership style and threatened to leave the party on Wednesday if Yoon does not change. The former chairman is preparing to set up his own political party.

Lee is not part of the PPP's mainstream faction and Han's political debut has taken the luster off of the former leader's plan to launch a new party. However, Lee's breakaway bid matters because he represents the PPP's ability or inaibility to embrace Yoon's critics within the party and remain autonomous from the president.

Han's predecessor, former Chairman Kim Gi-hyeon, failed to give an answer to these questions and ended up resigning from his post as voter support for the party waned.

Han said he will “listen to the voices of various people regardless of their political stance.” He added that the party should have a complementary relationship with the president.

Ruling People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon, right, delivers his inauguration speech in front of party officials during a ceremony at the party's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps

Another task awaiting Han is a bill to appoint a special counsel to probe first lady Kim Keon Hee, which will be put to vote at the National Assembly on Thursday.

In March, the minor opposition Justice Party proposed a bill for a special counsel on the first lady over her alleged involvement in a stock manipulation scandal. The bill is set to be tabled at an Assembly plenary session on Thursday, upon the DPK's endorsement. Since the DPK holds 168 out of 300 Assembly seats, it can pass the bill singlehandedly.

The presidential office has already hinted at Yoon using his veto power. But the bill is expected to be a major source of controversy ahead of the general elections, because the president has already vetoed a number of proposal unilaterally passed by the DPK, and surveys have shown that public sentiment is leaning toward the special counsel probe.

“Han's stance on the first lady's special counsel bill will be a barometer that determines the interim leadership of the PPP,” main opposition DPK floor leader Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo said Tuesday.

“The PPP is again floating the idea of a presidential veto on the bill, and it will be a veto on the public and a veto on fairness and common sense,” Hong added.

Han said he believes the special counsel bill is “a bad law” targeting the general elections, but he will consult with party officials first.

In response, DPK spokesperson Rep. Kang Sun-woo said in a commentary that "another empty talker has become the PPP's interim chief" and slammed Han for filling his inauguration speech with "insults and malicious comments against the main opposition party chief without uttering a single word of regret over the PPP's failure."

"If the first lady is acquited because the president won more votes in the (presidential) election, it is not a democracy," Kang said. "The people want a full disclosure of the facts related to the first lady's stock manipulation allegations. Why are you so scared to do that?"