Joint Campaign Speech in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam
Jeon Hangil Absent, but Chants of "Traitor" Erupt
At the second joint campaign speech for the People Power Party leadership election held on August 12, pro-impeachment candidates Cho Kyungtae and Ahn Cheolsoo emphasized their commitment to break ties with former President Yoon Suk Yeol and to pursue a comprehensive renewal of party personnel. In contrast, anti-impeachment candidates Kim Moonsoo, former Minister of Employment and Labor, and Jang Donghyuk, focused on criticizing the government and the ruling party, deliberately avoiding any mention of former President Yoon.
During the 6th national convention's joint speech for Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam held at BEXCO in Haeundae-gu, Busan, Cho Kyungtae called former President Yoon a "traitor" and stressed the need to sever ties with extremist factions. He declared, "It was former President Yoon who betrayed the people and the members of the People Power Party. A true conservative party upholds constitutional values and the rule of law. We must decisively break away from former President Yoon, who destroyed these principles."
He further emphasized, "It was former President Yoon, who imposed an illegal emergency martial law, who handed over the government to the Democratic Party of Korea. The traitor who betrayed both the people and our party is none other than former President Yoon." He added, "Those who still oppose impeachment, claim election fraud, and advocate for 'Yoon Again' must be expelled. Unless we remove these saboteurs who undermine our party, there is no future for the People Power Party."
Cho also highlighted the need for rational, centrist conservatism through personnel reform. He stated, "To win back power, we must move toward rational centrism. I will carry out the most powerful personnel renewal that meets the expectations of the people." During Cho’s speech, the audience reacted with both cheers and boos. When he called former President Yoon a "traitor," there were outbursts of profanity from various parts of the audience.
Jang Donghyuk positioned himself as the candidate who could "bring down the Lee Jaemyung administration," emphasizing his clear stance. He criticized, "The political special prosecutor is running amok, and Democratic Party leader Jung Cheongrae is talking about eradicating insurrectionist forces and constantly mentioning the dissolution of parties. In reality, the party that should be dissolved is the Democratic Party, which repeatedly commits anti-constitutional parliamentary tyranny."
He further accused the Democratic Party, saying, "Even at this very moment, they are churning out laws to seize control of the judiciary and dismantle the prosecution, ignoring the Constitution. This is a 'martial law' disguised as the rule of law." He appealed for support, stating, "President Lee Jaemyung must be brought back to court and face the stern judgment of the law."
Ahn Cheolsoo reiterated his commitment to innovation, saying, "We must break free from the shackles of the past and make a new choice." He admitted, "I am sorry. We lost power. We handed the presidency over to Lee Jaemyung and the Democratic Party," bowing his head. He added, "Look at those who are raising their voices in the People Power Party now. They cling to a handful of extremists who support martial law and 'Yoon Again,' desperately begging for votes."
Regarding Jeon Hangil, who caused a disturbance at the first joint campaign speech, Ahn remarked, "A single troublemaker caused chaos. He insulted the party leadership, disrespected the convention candidates, and humiliated party members." He continued, "Yet, there are still people who associate with this fraudulent peddler. They talk about unity, but grovel before extreme agitators."
Finally, Kim Moonsoo took the stage, bowing deeply to party members and claiming he was the right person to fight against the Lee Jaemyung administration. He asserted, "Criminal Lee Jaemyung has not attended a single one of his five trials. If I become party leader, I will launch a national petition campaign demanding that Lee's trials continue." He further criticized President Lee, saying, "He has seized complete control of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. He has created three political special prosecutors to imprison former President Yoon and is even violating human rights in detention."
Kim Moonsoo promised, "If I become party leader, I will ensure that the People Power Party regains more than the 41% support it received in the last presidential election by the end of this year." He also warned, "If we become even more divided, our 100-seat constitutional amendment blocking line will collapse, and President Lee will pursue constitutional changes for long-term rule. We must join hands with all citizens who oppose Lee Jaemyung's dictatorship and stop him."
Jeon Hangil, who was banned from attending the national convention for disrupting the Daegu-Gyeongbuk joint campaign speech, did not appear at the joint event as previously announced. Instead, he conducted a YouTube live broadcast from the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Nam-gu, Busan. Wearing the press badge he received at the first joint campaign speech, he said, "I will accept the party leadership's decision to ban me from the convention in a broad-minded way. I will also attend the party's ethics committee review on the 14th to explain my position."
The People Power Party will continue with joint campaign speeches in Chungcheong and Honam on August 13, and in the Seoul metropolitan area, Gangwon, and Jeju on August 14. The party leader candidate TV debates will be held on August 17 and 19. The main election will take place on August 20-21, with 80% of the result determined by voting among party members with voting rights, and 20% by public opinion polling. The final results will be announced at the national convention in Osco, Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, on August 22. If no candidate receives a majority, a runoff between the top two candidates will be held on August 24-25.
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