Jang Dong-hyuk Criticizes President Lee's First-Year Press Conference

Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, criticized President Lee Jae-myung on June 8 for lacking concern for citizens during his first-year press conference. Jang stated, "There is no one in Lee Jae-myung's world. It is truly devastating."

During a press conference at the National Assembly, Jang remarked, "Watching the president's first anniversary press conference today, I was reminded once again that there is a separate universe of Lee Jae-myung."

He expressed disappointment, saying, "There was not a hint of remorse for the citizens suffering in the real estate hell. Instead of acknowledging the skyrocketing prices, he insisted it was normalization and mentioned raising property taxes while claiming to have controlled housing prices in Seoul. This is a sound of despair for the people."

Jang also noted, "He did not convey a single word of hope to the youth who are frustrated from not finding jobs. There was not a word of apology to the citizens who are angry about having their voting rights taken away. Lee is clearly living in a different world from the people."

He criticized Lee's claims of making South Korea an irreplaceable industrial powerhouse, stating that the core issues of industrial structure reform and labor reform were never addressed.

"An irreplaceable South Korea is not a goal that can be achieved through slogans. While growth for all can be a campaign slogan, it cannot be the keyword for South Korea's economic policy," Jang said. He pointed out that most of the country's key industries, except for semiconductors, are becoming replaceable due to neglect of structural reform and regression in labor reform.

Jang emphasized, "Holding the Yellow Envelope Act while shouting about being irreplaceable shows the contradictions of the Lee administration. To truly achieve irreplaceability, we must sever ties with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, lift regulations, and accelerate reforms to dramatically enhance industrial competitiveness."

Regarding the shortage of ballots in local elections, he remarked, "Lee Jae-myung, who used to demand accountability from the president during his time in opposition, has committed this significant national error without offering a proper apology. Is this issue solely the responsibility of the Election Commission? Does the president, as the head of state, bear no responsibility?" He added, "He must provide a proper response to the citizens' calls for a re-election."

Additionally, in response to calls within his party for him to clarify his position regarding the local election results, Jang asked, "Given the objective data, how do you evaluate the results of this local election?"