'Close' Jang Dong-hyuk Announces Candidacy for Supreme Council Member: "Conveying Public Sentiment to the Presidential Office Without Distortion"

The Chaesangbyung Special Prosecutor Act: "The Third-Party Special Prosecutor Act Will Resonate with the Public"

Jang Dong-hyuk, a member of the People Power Party (PPP) considered a close ally of Han Dong-hoon, declared his candidacy for the Supreme Council member position in the July 23 party convention on the 24th, stating, "I will create a party that responds sensitively to public sentiment, and if necessary, I will not hesitate to convey public opinion to the government and the presidential office without any filtering."

At a press conference held at the National Assembly that day, Representative Jang said, "The only way for the People Power Party, which lacks sufficient seats, to confront the overwhelming opposition is to fight wielding 'public sentiment' as both a spear and a shield."

Jang’s pledge is to reform the party’s system to better serve public sentiment. He emphasized, "Reflecting on the pain of the general election defeat, I reviewed the shortcomings and even blamed myself for my inadequacies. And I reached a certain conclusion: the party’s system must be changed."

He continued, "The secretariat must be transformed into a more organic and efficient system. The Yeouido Research Institute, our think tank, must be innovated to regain its former prestige. We must drastically strengthen our publicity functions. We need to create an atmosphere where party officials can work passionately," he stressed.

He expressed views essentially aligned with former PPP Emergency Committee Chairman Han Dong-hoon’s emphasis on reviving local party branches. Representative Jang said, "We must establish a foundation for out-of-parliament party branch chiefs to fight outside the National Assembly. The doors to party positions should be opened to fully utilize the capabilities of these out-of-parliament branch chiefs. We must proactively discover and recruit excellent talents and nurture them as valuable political assets of the party. We need to improve the party’s constitution and build its strength," he urged.

Former People Power Party Emergency Committee Chairman Han Dong-hoon (right) is talking with Assemblyman Jang Dong-hyuk (center) before declaring his candidacy for party leader at the National Assembly on the 23rd. [Image source=Yonhap News]

After the press conference, when asked about his opinion on the Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act, Jang explained, "The third-party special prosecutor law is the strongest offensive and defensive method against the special prosecutor law proposed by the Democratic Party of Korea. The public will agree that the special prosecutor must be recommended by an entity that guarantees fairness." The day before, former Chairman Han proposed a special prosecutor law in which the special prosecutor is appointed by the Supreme Court or similar bodies, rather than being recommended by the ruling and opposition parties.

When asked if the proposal for the Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act was a declaration against Yoon, he rebutted, "It is an intention to create a framework with claims different from theirs. Understanding the president’s intentions is not the way to serve the president; rather, we must present creative solutions and alternatives that are good for the president. I believe the third-party special prosecutor law is the best strategy to move toward the people’s livelihood," he argued.