Jang Donghyuk: "Reduction of South Korea-U.S. Drills a Decision for Peace? An All-Time Self-Congratulatory Delusion"

"Even if a U.S.-North Korea summit is held, Korea being sidelined is a foregone conclusion"

Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, responded on August 20 to President Lee Jaemyung’s remarks that the reduction of the US-South Korea joint military exercises was “a major decision for peace on the Korean Peninsula,” calling it “an unprecedented case of self-consolation.” He added, “Even if he acts as a lone pacemaker, both US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would just say, ‘No thanks.’”

Attending the Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly that morning, Jang stated, “The world already knows that the root causes of this crisis are President Lee’s ‘no thanks’ response to US President Donald Trump’s request for cooperation in the US-Iran war, along with the administration’s delay in US-bound investments.”

Jang Donghyuk, the leader of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on August 20, 2026. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

Jang went on, “President Trump bluntly criticized, saying, ‘If the Korean president does not help the United States, why should we help South Korea?’ An American political news outlet even analyzed that Trump seems to want to strike South Korea. Despite this, President Lee goes even further, claiming that the Republic of Korea should take full responsibility for the peninsula’s security. This means taking back wartime operational control and moving toward a withdrawal of US forces from Korea.”

He continued, “At this rate, even if a US-North Korea summit is held, being sidelined is inevitable for South Korea, and there is no way for us to block a US-North Korea agreement if it is reached regardless of our intentions. As a result, economic retaliation such as tariff hikes will follow, causing damage to our people and businesses, while only North Korea, China, and Russia benefit.”

Jang concluded, “President Lee has abandoned security, diplomacy, and the economy altogether,” adding, “The Lee Jaemyung administration has abandoned the people, and soon the people will abandon the Lee Jaemyung administration.”

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