Joint Rally Final Cheer Reaches Peak... Na, Won, Yoon Launch Full Assault on Han Dong-hoon

5000 Supporters of Party Leadership Candidates Gather
Intense Outdoor Battles with Tents and Samulnori
Unified Criticism of Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party
Korea's 'Na, Fast-Track Indictment Cancellation' Exposed
Na and Won Say "No Sense of Solidarity... Thrown as Investigation Targets"

On the 17th, supporters of Na Kyung-won, Won Hee-ryong, Yoon Sang-hyun, and Han Dong-hoon, candidates for the People Power Party (PPP) leadership, held a final cheer rally just before the party's 4th national convention on July 23.

At the joint speech event held in Goyang Sono Arena (Goyang Gymnasium) in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, and the plaza, 5,000 supporters (estimated by the organizers) of each candidate filled the venue. Despite the rainy weather, they pitched tents outside the Sono Arena plaza in the morning and actively engaged in an outdoor battle of support.

Supporters of candidate Han set up a life-size cutout of him at the entrance and waved star-shaped cheering sticks while chanting his name. Supporters of candidate Won performed samul nori (traditional Korean percussion) and waved panels and flags inscribed with "We are comrades." Supporters of candidate Na held red balloons, the party color of the People Power Party, and cheered for Na Kyung-won. Supporters of candidate Yoon also enthusiastically cheered, holding panels with slogans such as "Yoon Sang-hyun Conservative Revolution" and "Yoon Sang-hyun Fighting."

On the 17th, at the 4th Party Convention held at Goyang Sono Arena in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, supporters of candidate Han Dong-hoon are sending enthusiastic cheers during the joint speech meeting of Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

When the entrance began at 1 p.m., supporters who had been cheering in the plaza took their seats holding flags and panels, resembling a concert of famous celebrities. Unlike the joint speech event held on the 15th at Chungnam Yu Gwan-sun Gymnasium for Daejeon, Sejong, North Chungcheong, and Chungcheong provinces, supporters were seated in the 2nd and 3rd-floor stands, while party committee chairpersons and members of the National Assembly took seats in front of the stage on the 1st floor of the gymnasium.

Previously, supporters also sat in chairs arranged in the central section of the 1st floor of the gymnasium to cheer, but this time, the seating arrangement was made to prevent conflicts among supporters in advance. There was no recurrence of the assault incident that happened at the previous speech event. The People Power Party refused entry to some YouTubers supporting candidates Won and Han who had caused the previous assault, allowing them to appear only at each candidate's tent. The party has already filed complaints against three YouTubers with the police.

As the host mentioned each candidate's name, thunderous cheers followed. When the leadership candidates entered the speech hall and headed toward the seats where their supporters were, their names were chanted with cheers. The running mates of the leadership candidates, who were candidates for the Supreme Council, also received cheers comparable to those during the leadership candidates' speeches. However, boos were directed at rival candidates' speeches, and some supporters left the speech hall immediately after their preferred candidate finished speaking.

Leadership Candidates: "We Will Stop Lee Jae-myung's Parliamentary Dictatorship"... Ro, Won, and Yoon Launch Full-Scale Offensive Against Han Dong-hoon

Handonghun (from left), Nakyeongwon, Yunsanghyeon, and Won Heeryong, candidates for the People Power Party leadership, raise their hands to greet at the 4th Party Convention and the joint speech meeting for Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon held on the 17th at Goyang Sono Arena in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

All four leadership candidates voiced a united front to block former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party's unilateral dominance. However, candidates Na, Won, and Yoon launched a full-scale offensive against the frontrunner, candidate Han.

Candidate Han, who took the podium first, said, "While traveling to various regions, local supporters have now risen and ordered me to fight and defeat the ruthless Democratic Party that is ruining the country to protect me alone." He added, "That was an order to protect the Constitution, the Republic of Korea, and democracy. It was an order to make this government succeed. I will carry out that order." He continued, "We will win the 2026 local elections, the 2027 presidential election, and the 2028 general election. We are different from the one-polar system of the Democratic Party," adding, "We have a proud tradition of democratic debate, fierce competition to unite our will and strength, and to reconcile differences. I will do well." Candidate Na also mentioned the 76th anniversary of Constitution Day in his speech, emphasizing, "We will definitely uphold the constitutional order of the Republic of Korea," and stressed, "We will stop Lee Jae-myung's Democratic Party's parliamentary dictatorship and impeachment rampage."

Regarding candidate Han's claim made that morning about candidate Na's alleged request to halt prosecution related to the fast-track process, attacks from candidates Na and Won followed. Han had revealed during a CBS radio-hosted debate that "Candidate Na requested the cancellation of prosecution related to the fast-track process during his time as Minister of Justice." Candidate Na is currently on trial for obstructing the National Assembly's fast-track process in 2019 when he was the floor leader of the Liberty Korea Party (the predecessor of the People Power Party), accused of occupying the National Assembly's legislative affairs office and meeting rooms to disrupt the session.

Candidate Na responded, "He caused 27 incumbent lawmakers and aides to be prosecuted. It was an unconstitutional prosecution," and argued that "(The problem is) it discourages our parliamentary struggle," clarifying that it was not a personal request but to protect the constitutional rights of lawmakers. He continued, "My call to correct the constitutional order is described by candidate Han as a request to cancel prosecution. The opposition party is excited, calling it an investigation target or a request to cancel prosecution. Is this really our party's leadership candidate?" He questioned. He raised his voice, saying, "Then should we just stand by and accept the Democratic Party's parliamentary violence? I cannot entrust the party to a leader without conservative values, responsibility, or a sense of solidarity."

Na Kyung-won and Won Hee-ryong, candidates for the People Power Party leadership, are conversing at the 4th Party Convention joint speech meeting for Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon held on the 17th at Sono Arena in Goyang, Gyeonggi. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Candidate Won also mentioned the third-party special prosecutor law proposed by candidate Han, saying, "The special prosecutor law is a card the Democratic Party pulled out to impeach President Yoon Seok-youl and push for an early presidential election," adding, "It is a conspiracy solely to avoid their judicial risks. If the party leader and the president clash over this, the party will be shattered. There is already a case where the party was portrayed as the villain for intervening in party affairs when the party and government clashed." He continued, "During this morning's debate, no one asked, but candidate Han said candidate Na requested the Minister of Justice to cancel prosecution," criticizing, "Even if he claims it is right, it resulted in throwing precious comrades in the opposition party into political investigations." Especially, candidate Won compared the special prosecutor investigation of Chae Sang-byeong with the allegations about candidate Han's comment team, attacking that "The special prosecutor investigation of Chae Sang-byeong can be defended even if the facts come out, but defending the comment team is difficult, so he is not suitable as party leader." On the other hand, candidate Han met with reporters after the joint speech event and rebutted, "When I talk about myself, it's verification, but when others talk, it's internal sabotage," adding, "There is no basic fact at all. They said they would retire from politics if it was not true that my family was involved in nominations, but there has been no news. I strictly based my statements on facts."

Candidate Yoon also targeted candidate Han, who served as emergency committee chairman during the last general election, saying, "The metropolitan area public opinion demanded reflection and future from our party, but our party leadership did not heed the metropolitan area public opinion, talking about 'judging the activist faction' and 'judging the Lee faction,'" criticizing, "They forgot the obvious truth that apologies lead to forgiveness and reflection leads to opportunities." He added, "Looking back at the leadership of our party, the metropolitan area defeat was an inevitable result," emphasizing, "Which citizen would vote for a party that acts like a contrarian frog?"

Handonghun (right) and Yoon Sanghyun, the People Power Party's presidential candidates, are talking at the 4th Party Convention joint speech meeting for Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon held on the 17th at Sono Arena in Goyang, Gyeonggi. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@