Democratic Party Petition Board Turned into a Hit List... No.1 is 'Expulsion of Park Ji-hyun'

Over 75,000 Agree with Park Ji-hyun's Call for Expulsion
Park Ji-hyun: "Many Lawmakers Suppressed by Strong Fandom Influence"

Recently, the Democratic Party of Korea's National Response Center petition board has become a so-called 'death list.' This is because the hardline supporters of party leader Lee Jae-myung are using this board to demand the expulsion or disciplinary action against former emergency committee chair Park Ji-hyun and others.

Despite strong backlash such as petitions for expulsion, former Chair Park has not wavered in her convictions and continues to criticize that the hardline supporters are threatening intra-party democracy.

As of 9 a.m. on the 6th, the petition with the most party member endorsements on the Democratic Party's National Response Center petition board is the one urging the expulsion or disciplinary action against former Chair Park. It has garnered over 75,000 endorsements, achieving a 150% agreement rate. The backlash from Lee’s hardline supporters was directed at former Chair Park, who had called for Lee’s appearance at the warrant review hearing.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Although the motion to arrest Lee was rejected at the National Assembly plenary session on the 27th of last month, unlike the pro-Lee faction’s expectation of a 'complete rejection,' a significant number of dissenting votes emerged within the party, leading to assessments that the party leadership is now on the test bench. Amid evaluations within the ruling party describing the situation as a 'political death sentence,' Lee’s hardline supporters view the anti-Lee faction as the ones threatening Lee’s political life.

The petition with the second highest number of party member endorsements following the disciplinary petition against former Chair Park is the petition for the permanent expulsion of former leader Lee Nak-yeon. It has received about 69,000 endorsements. The petitioner claimed, "During the last presidential primary, it was former leader Lee who exposed the Daejang-dong scandal, causing Lee Jae-myung to suffer," and added, "It is not unreasonable to believe that former leader Lee orchestrated the rebellious votes against the arrest motion within the Democratic Party."

On the other hand, the third and fourth most endorsed petitions were submitted with the intent to protect Lee. The petition to add an exception clause to Article 25 of the party constitution, which requires the party leader to resign one year before running for president, in consideration of Lee’s presidential candidacy, received about 50,000 endorsements, ranking third. The petition to disclose the list of lawmakers who cast the so-called 'rebellious votes' in favor of Lee’s arrest motion received about 41,000 endorsements, ranking fourth.

As internal strife deepens, Lee himself has requested restraint from internal attacks, but the conflict is not easily resolved. On the 4th, Lee posted on his social media, "The more intense the conflicts within us become, the weaker the momentum to check the regime that neglects people’s livelihoods and focuses on obliterating the opposition becomes," and asked, "Please imagine who would be smiling the most at such a time." He continued, "Please stop attacks or criticisms directed inward. This is exactly what the opposing camp wants."

Former Emergency Response Committee Chairperson of the Democratic Party, Park Ji-hyun, and young party members are holding a press conference on the 6th at the National Assembly Communication Hall under the theme "The Path the Democratic Party Should Take."
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, on the 6th, former Chair Park appeared on YTN Radio’s 'News King Park Ji-hoon' and said, "From March to July, I plan to travel nationwide to hold book talks, and I will specially reserve front seats for those who participated in the petitions for my expulsion or disciplinary action."

Former Chair Park is expected to continue her candid criticism of the Democratic Party. On the same day, she held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Hall with young party members and said, "Looking at the vote results on the arrest motion, many lawmakers opposed it in front but supported it behind the scenes, overwhelmed by the power of the hardline fandom," calling it "a miserable state where intra-party democracy has been thoroughly destroyed."

She added, "Party members and the public elected Lee expecting the Democratic Party’s reflection and innovation, but now Lee only shows a selfish image that drives the party into crisis to protect himself," emphasizing, "The one Lee should fear is not the prosecution but the people, and it should be Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, not the Democratic Party of Lee Jae-myung. Only then will the people empower our Democratic Party again."

This is the first time former Chair Park has held a press conference inside the National Assembly since her resignation last year. Holding a press conference inside the National Assembly requires cooperation from a lawmaker’s office, and it is known that the office of lawmaker Lee Won-wook and others assisted with this press conference. Former Chair Park held her party leader candidacy declaration and a press conference related to the October 29 Itaewon tragedy last year in front of the National Assembly main gate.