Han Dong-hoon, chairman of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), tries chestnuts at a traditional market in Incheon's Ganghwa County, Friday. Yonhap

Han Dong-hoon, chairman of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), is actively campaigning alongside candidates for the October by-elections in a bid to shape the electoral outcome in his favor as he struggles with other problems, according to party officials and political watchers, Sunday. His moves to form a consultative body to discuss the medical school quota hike and seek horizontal party-government relations have been hitting roadblocks, and a win for his party in the by-elections could lead him to a breakthrough.

The by-elections, set for Oct. 16, will fill mayoral posts in Busan's Geumjeong District, Incheon's Ganghwa County and the counties of Yeonggwang and Gokseong in South Jeolla Province. Although they are considered relatively minor races, parties view the upcoming elections as a way to gauge public opinion after the April 10 general elections.

Han visited Geumjeong District to support candidate Yoon Il-hyeon on Saturday, and pledged to relocate the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) headquarters from Seoul to Busan.

“We will relocate the KDB to Busan to strengthen Busan's position as a financial hub. We will also reopen the Baptist Hospital to protect Busan citizens' right to health and create a safety net,” Han said, Saturday.

A day earlier, the PPP chief visited Ganghwa County, a conservative stronghold, to support candidate Park Yong-chul. However, former lawmaker Ahn Sang-soo who left the PPP and registered as an independent in the island electorate is likely make the race difficult for Park to win in October.

Han plans to visit Gokseong County in South Jeolla Province, a progressive stronghold, on Oct. 8 to make last-minute efforts to woo voters. Early voting will take place Oct. 11 and 12.

Han faces a leadership test as he is making all-out efforts to break a prolonged parliamentary deadlock on pending political issues. To achieve a breakthrough, he has suggested a “third-party” special counsel bill on a Marine's death and demanded an apology from first lady Kim Keon Hee for all the controversies she has caused.

His moves, however, displeased President Yoon and pro-Yoon loyalists within the PPP. Internal strife has resurfaced as Yoon and Han's dinner meeting last week ended without any meaningful discussion of pressing issues such as doctors' ongoing walkout and suspicions surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee. This has led to factional infighting within the party, with many criticizing Han's fragile leadership.

“The fact that the conflict between the president and the party continues to stir controversy is a problem,” PPP Rep. Na Kyung-won said.

The future of the four-way consultative body, comprising the major political parties, the government and doctors' groups, looks bleak. The plan, which seeks to increase medical school quotas, has led to strikes by trainee doctors, causing substantial disruptions in essential services at major hospitals such as emergency care.

Han Dong-hoon, chairman of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), second from right, visits the Baptist Hospital in Busan, Saturday. Yonhap

The by-election for Seoul's education chief, which also takes place on Oct. 16, will be another critical test for Han.

Cho Jun-hyuk, the conservative bloc's single candidate, will go toe-to-toe with Jung Keun-sik, the progressive bloc's unified candidate, vying for the post of superintendent at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education.

Cho is a former lawmaker of the predecessor of the PPP while Jung is an honorary professor of sociology at Seoul National University. Two other independent candidates — Choi Bo-seon, another candidate from the liberal bloc, and Yoon Ho-sang, adjunct professor at Hanyang University — also entered the race, making it a four-way competition.

The education chief post went up for grabs when former Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon was stripped of his title in August after the Supreme Court upheld a suspended prison sentence for him over abuse of power charges in connection with the reinstatement of dismissed teachers.