People Power Party Criticizes President Lee's Press Conference

The People Power Party criticized President Lee Jae-myung's press conference on September 18, stating, "There was no sign of reflection on government failures or a willingness to change policy direction."

Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk held a press briefing at the National Assembly, asserting, "This was a press conference that revealed the president's true intentions. It was a declaration of, 'No matter what the people say, I will continue on my path with the leftists.'"

Jang suggested that President Lee believes the decline in approval ratings is due to even his core supporters turning away. He analyzed that the goal of the press conference was to turn around the declining approval ratings by winning back this core support.

He pointed out several issues criticized by the opposition, including rising housing prices in the capital region, a comprehensive survey of agricultural land, the single-item leveraged exchange-traded fund (ETF) situation, and reforms to the criminal justice system, stating, "There was no reflection on government failures." He criticized the president's acknowledgment of shortcomings in process and method, saying, "The diagnosis was wrong from the start. The direction was incorrect, so both the process and the methods were flawed."

Jang also took issue with the government's stance against the judiciary regarding the Supreme Court's referral authority. Quoting the president's remarks, he urged, "I hope you will think carefully about the reasons for granting independence to state agencies," adding, "The president is someone who has trampled on the independence of the judiciary by citing elected and appointed powers."

He concluded, "The public's one-line review is that 'time was wasted and ears were closed.' I believe it is time for the president to step down and no longer be a painful presence for the people."

Jung Jeom-sik, the party's floor leader, also spoke to reporters, describing the press conference as "a hollow repetition of maintaining the current policy direction" and called it "despairing." He noted the lack of reflection on policies that exploit the public's assets, such as real estate, agricultural land, and stocks, stating, "The diagnosis of the problems was wrong from the outset."

Additionally, Jung listed the president's remarks from the press conference, labeling him as an 'irresponsible president,' 'a truly bad president,' and 'a cowardly president.' He assessed that the purpose of the press conference was to appease the left in an effort to prevent the disintegration of support.

Meanwhile, in response to Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do's call for the People Power Party to stop engaging in unproductive political strife and irresponsible governance, Jung countered, "The Democratic Party's perspective itself is the problem." He emphasized, "In the 22nd National Assembly, the Democratic Party has taken measures one by one to hold the president accountable. I have repeatedly stated that if it concerns the people's livelihood, I am always open to dialogue and cooperation to improve the lives of the people."