Jang Stays the Course... Despite Calls for Leadership Resignation, Says "It's Time to Focus on Voices at Olympic Park"

The political 'my way' approach of Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, continues. He is insisting on a nationwide re-election over the 'ballot paper shortage crisis' that occurred during the 9th nationwide local elections, and regarding calls for his resignation, he has drawn a clear line, stating, "It is time to focus on the voices of citizens gathered at Olympic Park."

Yonhap News Agency

At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 15th, Leader Jang stated, "Everything has an order and a pace," adding, "Right now, the minimum courtesy to the people is to come together and ensure at least one special prosecutor investigation into the ballot paper shortage crisis is completed." This was a rebuttal to continued calls for the entire leadership to step down.

Supreme Council member Yang Hyang-ja said on the same day, "The current leadership is like zombies," and added, "We must make way as soon as possible so that the next leadership can take the helm of the party." This is the second proposal for a mass resignation, following Woo Jae-jun, another Supreme Council member aligned with the pro-Han faction.

Recently, Leader Jang has been intensifying his hardline stance, such as attending rallies holding signs that read 'rigged election.' Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform New Party, met with reporters after paying a courtesy visit to People Power Party floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik in the morning and stated, "Some politicians in the People Power Party are politically exploiting the rigged election narrative, and conspiracy theories have been repeating for seven years."

Meanwhile, the People Power Party is expected to hold a general assembly of lawmakers around June 18 to discuss the issues of leadership resignation and nationwide re-election. This is in response to demands from the 'Alternative and Future' group, a reformist and junior lawmakers' gathering within the party. However, it is unlikely that a clear conclusion will be reached at the meeting.

Nonetheless, divisions are gradually widening. According to the current People Power Party constitution, if at least four out of the five elected Supreme Council members resign, the party transitions to an emergency committee system. So far, two out of the five—Supreme Council members Woo Jae-jun and Yang Hyang-ja—have proposed a mass resignation.

Park Joon-tae, Chief Secretary to the leader, told reporters on this day, "Reports have come out that party approval ratings have reached their highest since the current leadership took office," and added, "(As for Supreme Council member Yang Hyang-ja, who lost in the Gyeonggi Province governor election), if she feels she should take responsibility, she can resign on her own."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.