Alternative and Future: "Jang's Call for Re-Election Is an Act of Defiance...He Must Step Down Voluntarily"

"Request to Convene General Assembly...
Resignation and Party Convention Is the Cleanest Solution"

On June 25, the Alternative and Future group—a reformist and junior lawmakers’ gathering within the People Power Party—responded to Chairman Jang Donghyuk’s call for a re-election regarding the ballot paper incident in the 9th nationwide local elections. The group stated, “Insisting on a re-election that is legally and practically impossible constitutes an act of defiance against the collective consensus reached at the last general assembly of lawmakers,” adding, “We have requested the convening of a general assembly.”

Assemblyman Lee Seongkwon, secretary of Alternative and Future, held a press briefing at the National Assembly’s Communication Center in Yeouido, Seoul, that morning. He said, “Chairman Jang’s leadership, which has brought about election defeat and turmoil within the party through hardline positions and a politics of exclusion, leaves no future for the party, and therefore, we urge him to resign voluntarily.”

Yonhap News Agency

Assemblyman Lee first addressed Chairman Jang’s demand for a re-election as his first official statement after returning to party work following hospitalization. He said, “This issue was already settled with a consensus at the general assembly of lawmakers on June 17,” and added, “Chairman Jang’s unilateral insistence on a re-election once again is an act that undermines intra-party democracy and cannot be overlooked.”

Assemblyman Lee continued, “We have requested Floor Leader Jeong Jeomshik to convene a general assembly, including the party chairman, where the issue of a re-election can be discussed through a secret ballot to gather the collective opinion of the lawmakers,” and added, “We also asked that the party chairman refrain from repeatedly throwing the party into confusion with personal opinions.”

Furthermore, Assemblyman Lee reiterated his call for Chairman Jang to resign of his own accord regarding his position, stating, “To swiftly resolve the party’s confusion and move toward the future as soon as possible, we urge decisive action from elected Supreme Council members, including Supreme Council member Shin Dongwook,” and added, “We also call for the active roles of the floor leader and senior lawmakers.”

The previous day, Chairman Jang, upon returning to his duties, had declared, “I will restore order and discipline in the party.” Within and outside the party, there is speculation that Chairman Jang may be seeking to resume disciplinary actions—previously postponed after the election—through the Party Affairs Audit Committee and the Ethics Committee.

In response, Assemblyman Lee said, “To truly restore order and discipline in the party, the chairman should start by addressing issues among his close aides and associates,” and added, “To correct the party’s discipline, the first step should be replacing the chief of staff (Assemblyman Park Juntae), who has called for the dissolution of lawmaker groups such as Alternative and Future that strive for diversity and democracy within the party, as well as stopping the spokesperson’s indiscriminate criticism of party members.”

Regarding the possibility of a confidence vote, since Chairman Jang has emphasized the will of party members, Assemblyman Lee stated, “The leadership may propose such a vote, but the opinions of lawmakers must first be gathered through due process.” He added, “Rather than using vague and ambiguous language, the leadership stepping down en masse and holding a party convention would be the clearest, most traditional, and legitimate way to consult both public sentiment and party sentiment.”

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