"Internal Strife and Far-Right Labeling Are Unacceptable"
Promises to Establish Personnel Reform and Talent Recruitment Systems
On July 23, Jang Donghyuk, a member of the People Power Party, announced his candidacy for party leader, stating, "Innovation should begin with the causes of martial law, not in the 'sea of impeachment'." Jang, originally a pro-Han Donghoon figure, participated in the National Assembly's resolution calling for the lifting of martial law, but later became a pro-Yoon Sukyeol figure and a prominent opponent of impeachment.
At a press conference held at the National Assembly Museum on the same day, Jang declared, "I will stand at the forefront and fight against the Lee Jaemyung administration."
At the event, he emphasized, "In the next general election, I will push for a more drastic personnel reform than ever before." He pledged, "I will create a system where only those who truly fight are nominated," and promised, "I will establish detailed legislative performance evaluation criteria and reflect them in the nomination process."
He also vowed to create a system for discovering and nurturing talent. Jang stated, "I will include the head of the talent recruitment committee among the party's top five positions and make it a full-time role," adding, "We will continuously discover experts in various fields and future talent, and guarantee them opportunities to serve in various party posts." He continued, "I will revive the party's education and training functions," and announced plans to foster young politicians through a youth political school.
Other key pledges included reorganizing the Yeouido Institute, and actively appointing figures from the Seoul metropolitan area, Honam region, youth, and women.
Jang also placed responsibility for the illegal emergency martial law on the Democratic Party of Korea. He stressed, "While the means of martial law were wrong, the Democratic Party, which repeatedly committed parliamentary tyranny in its attempts to bring down the Yoon Sukyeol administration, bears a significant responsibility for provoking martial law." He added, "The People Power Party, which failed to properly fight against the Democratic Party's parliamentary tyranny and instead engaged in internal strife, also shares responsibility for provoking martial law."
He pointed out, "While we were turning our guns on each other, as of yesterday, all five trials against President Lee Jaemyung have been suspended," and criticized, "It is absolutely unacceptable to drive the Yoon Sukyeol administration and the party into crisis through internal strife and support for impeachment, and to adopt the malicious 'far-right' frame created by the Democratic Party to label us as far-right."
After the press conference, Jang responded to reporters regarding his selection as a target for reform by Innovation Committee Chairperson Yoon Heesook, saying, "Neither Ahn Cheolsoo nor Yoon Heesook, as innovation committee chairs, have presented any proper reform measures for the party," and argued, "All they have done is turn our party back into a battleground, a place for internal conflict."
He also addressed the controversy over the attendance of Jeon Hangil, a former Korean history lecturer who supports former President Yoon Sukyeol and has promoted 'election fraud conspiracy theories,' at a forum he hosted. Jang explained, "It is not right to change the party's decisions and convictions regarding impeachment just because we lost the presidential election." He continued, "Those who attended my forum have supported the People Power Party and fought harder than anyone for the party during the impeachment crisis," adding, "For someone who once fought alongside them and expressed gratitude to now say they should not be by our side because we lost the presidential election is not the attitude a conservative party should display."
Meanwhile, on the same day, Representative Joo Jinwoo also announced his intention to run for party leader, stating, "I will reorganize the party's ranks and transform it into a younger and stronger conservative force."
As of now, the candidates who have declared their intention to run for People Power Party leader include Jang Donghyuk, former Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moonsoo, Representatives Ahn Cheolsoo, Cho Kyungtae, and Joo Jinwoo, former Presidential Office Director of Future Strategy Planning Jang Sungmin, and former lawmaker Yang Hyangja.
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