Han Byung-do, acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, displays a photo of a sign held by People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok at a rally at Olympic Park, criticizing its contents, during a policy coordination meeting at the National Assembly on Thursday. [Yonhap]
Han Byung-do, acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, displays a photo of a sign held by People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok at a rally at Olympic Park, criticizing its contents, during a policy coordination meeting at the National Assembly on Thursday. [Yonhap]

Han Byung-do, acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, publicly displayed a photo Thursday of a sign held by People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok at a protest over ballot shortages during the June 3 local elections — a sign that omitted President Lee Jae Myung's surname and title — and said Jang's "gutter-level verbal abuse has gone too far."

Han made the remarks at a policy coordination meeting at the National Assembly, calling Jang's conduct "incomparably vulgar and reckless."

After showing attendees a photo of the sign, which read "Jae-myung, stop picking fights with high schoolers and fight me instead," Han said, "It is truly unbelievable — and even heartbreaking — that someone who behaves so recklessly and rashly is the leader of the main opposition party. This is exactly where the main opposition stands right now."

Han added that Jang's "crude behavior stems from his attempt to carve out a political escape route after being cornered within the PPP," and called him "a wicked politician who drags in the head of state to mock and attack for his own political gain and survival."

Han also turned his fire on the PPP over its boycott of the July extraordinary session of the National Assembly, which the party launched in protest over the Democratic Party's allocation of standing committee chairmanships. "We cannot simply stand by and watch this baseless parliamentary strike indefinitely," he said.

Han went on to say there were "limits to patience," warning that "if the PPP continues its work stoppage, the Democratic Party will make a responsible decision and take action to build a working National Assembly."

He also directed a parting shot at Jang, saying the PPP leader should "face the fact that it is none other than Jang himself who is turning his party into an autocratic organization through unprecedented disciplinary politics and silencing his own lawmakers."


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