Jang makes surprise visit to Jamsil vote-counting center after keeping low profile
Expected to maintain silence on resignation despite mounting pressure
Floor leader election next week seen as key to controlling party leadership race
Kim Do-eup, Seong Il-jong, Jeong Jeom-sik among names floated to succeed Song
People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok has remained silent for a second consecutive day on his political future, despite mounting calls within the party to step down following the PPP's defeat in the June 3 local elections.
Jang had no public schedule Friday but made a surprise visit to a vote-counting center in Songpa-gu, Seoul, where ballots from the Jamsil 7-dong polling station — at the center of a controversy over a ballot shortage — had been transferred. Citizens demanding a halt to the count were in a standoff with police at the site. The visit appeared intended to amplify the controversy surrounding the National Election Commission's handling of the ballot shortage rather than to address questions about his own future.
On Thursday, Jang hinted on Facebook that he intended to remain as party leader, writing that he would "not turn away from the weighty responsibilities entrusted to me and will find a new path forward together with party members." He also struck an upbeat tone despite the PPP losing eight incumbent regional government head seats, saying, "It was an election fought under every difficult circumstance, but we kept the flame of hope alive."
Since the election, calls for Jang's resignation have poured in from within the party. Lawmakers were said to have voiced in a group Telegram chat that the party leadership must take responsibility for the defeat. Rep. Yun Han-hong was quoted as saying, "Candidates who ran in the local elections suffered unnecessarily because of the party's mistakes," adding that "the next election will be even harder if the party does not reform and restructure itself." Reps. Han Gi-ho and Lee Yang-su also added weight to the calls for leadership accountability, invoking phrases such as "total transformation" and "party before self," respectively.
Rep. Kim Yong-tae wrote on Facebook that "the local election results clearly show the limits of the party leadership's capacity," while Rep. Ahn Sang-hoon said, "The will of the people is the will of heaven. The party leadership must quickly decide its future." Rep. Kim Jae-seop, appearing on YTN Radio, said Jang "must take responsibility and decide his own future."
Jang's fate is also tied to the upcoming floor leader election. Current floor leader Song Eon-seog's term expires June 15. Song said by phone that he must resign before his term ends and that the floor leader election "could take place around next week."
Should Jang step down, the new floor leader would likely also serve as chair of an emergency steering committee. That role carries significant weight, as the emergency chair would set the primary election rules for the party convention that will choose the next party leader.
Kim Do-eup, Seong Il-jong and Jeong Jeom-sik are among the names being floated as floor leader candidates. Rep. Jeong said by phone Friday that he would announce his position once the floor leader election is officially called.
Rep. Yoo Eui-dong, who won a seat in the June 3 by-election and entered the National Assembly on Friday as a four-term lawmaker, is also being mentioned as a potential candidate, seen as a counterweight to the party's mainstream faction. On Thursday, Yoo told YTN Radio that "within this term, I want to challenge the party leadership in some form and become a driving force for change," adding that he has "a great deal of interest in the floor leader post."
Multiple PPP insiders, however, believe Jang will not relinquish his grip on the party easily. One official said he would "keep fighting," while another said Jang could consider proposing a confidence vote among party members or strategically resigning and then re-entering the race at a party convention.
If Jang refuses to step down voluntarily, there is also talk of neutralizing the Supreme Council. Under current party rules, the council in effect loses its function if four or more elected supreme council members resign, which would trigger a transition to an emergency steering committee. For now, however, the only member seen as likely to resign immediately is Rep. Woo Jae-jun, an ally of former party leader Han Dong-hoon.
thanks@heraldcorp.com
