The People Power Party held a public report meeting on the failures of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration on September 22, targeting various aspects of governance, including personnel, the economy, justice, and foreign policy, ahead of the Chuseok holiday. Analysts suggest that this meeting serves as a prelude to the party's strategy for post-holiday opposition against the ruling party.
Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk attended the meeting and stated, "The Yoon administration is completely dismantling the house that is South Korea. Above all, it is tearing down the wall of 'security.' It is trying to recognize North Korea as a state and dismantle our security."
He further criticized the administration, saying, "This government is using every means to bring down the head of the judiciary and frequently mentions the impeachment of the Chief Justice. The request for the reappointment of Supreme Court justices is an intention to take control of the judiciary entirely."
Kim Tae-kyu, the party's legal advisor, remarked, "Everything this administration does is aimed at covering up President Yoon's crimes, and the Democratic Party is acting as its bodyguard. Dialogue, compromise, and checks and balances have long disappeared from the National Assembly. The Democratic Party has turned the National Assembly into a base for protecting Yoon."
The meeting also included criticisms regarding the administration's failures in the economy and foreign security. Jang highlighted President Yoon's lack of understanding regarding the introduction process of single-item leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs), stating, "We will definitely uncover who made the decision through a special investigation."
Park Seong-hoon, a member of the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee, added, "There are many suspicions surrounding the launch process of leveraged ETFs. Securities firms earned 120 billion won in commissions alone within two months after the product's launch."
The event lasted about 20 minutes longer than planned, reflecting the strong condemnation from party leadership, lawmakers, and members, who raised their voices against issues such as farmland surveys and the second cabinet reshuffle, expanding their offensive against the ruling party.
Political analysts suggest that the People Power Party is considering a 'street protest' strategy following this report meeting. After the Chuseok holiday, if they assess that public sentiment, or 'table sentiment,' supports their opposition efforts, they may take to the streets to condemn the government and ruling party.
Recently, Jang has been engaging with the public outside the National Assembly while floor leader Jeong Jeong-sik has been rallying party lawmakers to form a united front against the ruling party. This could lead to simultaneous activities in the National Assembly, including the regular session and national audits, as well as street protests.
However, the recent political shifts, including the resignation of former Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won on September 19 and the announcement of resignation by Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik the day before, may influence the leadership's decisions, especially with the national audits approaching next month.
In this context, a first-term lawmaker within the party stated, "The leadership is expected to make decisions based on the trends in public sentiment after Chuseok, but they must strategically consider the upcoming national audits."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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