After Yoon's Dismissal, People Power Party Vows Presidential Victory... Opposition Calls It "Brazen" [Yoon Seok-yeol Dismissal]

Right after the dismissal decision of former President Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party issued a message pledging victory in the early presidential election, prompting the opposition to sharply criticize it as "shameless."

On the 4th, when the Constitutional Court ruled to dismiss former President Yoon Seok-yeol, citizens raised placards and shouted slogans at the Gwangju Citizens' Victory Rally held at the 5·18 Democratic Square in Dong-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Yonhap News

Cho Seung-rae, the chief spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, said in a written briefing on the same day, "Yesterday (the 4th), Yoon Seok-yeol, the ringleader of the insurrection who was dismissed, met with the leadership of the People Power Party and urged them to win the presidential election. The People Power Party has pledged victory in the election immediately after the dismissal ruling," adding, "It is astonishingly shameless of those who, despite their own president being dismissed for instigating an insurrection, act as if nothing happened and vow to win the election."

Cho also stated, "Even after (former President) Yoon's dismissal, instead of reflecting, they are trying to join the election hand in hand with the ringleader of the insurrection. There are even voices at the party meeting calling for rooting out those who supported the impeachment, which is outrageous," and raised his voice, saying, "The People Power Party must show thorough reflection and a clear break from Yoon Seok-yeol's insurrection through their actions."

Hong Sung-kyu, the chief spokesperson of the Progressive Party, also issued a statement on the same day, criticizing, "Our people have severely punished the heinous constitutional destroyer, but the People Power Party still keeps the ringleader of the insurrection as their top leader," and added, "The ruthless and tragic insurrection forces still have absolutely no intention of accepting the people's command and the Constitutional Court's ruling."

He continued, "For such people to talk about 'participating in the early presidential election' again is utterly absurd," and said, "There is no place for an insurrection party in the democratic republic of Korea." He then declared, "There is no other option for the People Power Party but to 'disband voluntarily.' The insurrection party People Power Party must be immediately dissolved."

Immediately after the Constitutional Court's dismissal ruling against former President Yoon the previous day, Yoon met with Kwon Young-se, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, and Kwon Seong-dong, the floor leader of the People Power Party, at the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and said, "Since time is limited, I hope the party will prepare well for the presidential election and definitely win."

During the impeachment trial of former President Yoon, the People Power Party was officially unable to prepare for the early presidential election at the party level.

However, with the dismissal of former President Yoon decided, full-scale election preparations have become possible, and starting next week, the party is expected to focus its efforts on election preparations, such as forming an election management committee and proceeding with the preliminary candidate registration process.