People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok delivers opening remarks at a forum for youth and university students from the Busan-South Gyeongsang region on the "June 3 voting rights deprivation incident," held Sunday afternoon at the PPP's Busan chapter office. [Yonhap]
People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok delivers opening remarks at a forum for youth and university students from the Busan-South Gyeongsang region on the "June 3 voting rights deprivation incident," held Sunday afternoon at the PPP's Busan chapter office. [Yonhap]

People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok attended a forum and a rally in Busan on Sunday to denounce the ballot shortage that marred the June 3 local elections, in what observers see as a bid to consolidate his hard-line base through street politics as internal pressure mounts on him to resign over the party's election defeat.

Speaking at a youth and university student forum on the "June 3 voting rights deprivation incident" held Sunday afternoon at the PPP's Busan chapter office in Namcheon-dong, Suyeong-gu, Jang lashed out at President Lee Jae Myung. When Lee was in the opposition, Jang said, he had declared that "it's fine to criticize the president" and that "the president is not a king," yet now that he holds the office he is trying to become "a supreme authority surpassing Kim Jong-un."

Jang said that as calls for a re-election and reforms to the National Election Commission and the electoral system grew louder, President Lee and the Democratic Party had moved to "silence" those voices.

He said that when he announced he would visit Busan on Sunday, the Democratic Party's reaction was "astounding," accusing the party of "spreading conspiracy-theory framing" and traveling the country to circulate what he called unfounded rumors. "Where is the conspiracy theory in calling for a trustworthy special prosecutor investigation into the ballot shortage, or saying a re-election is needed if necessary?" he said.

Turning to acting National Election Commission Chairman Wi Cheol-hwan, Jang said Wi was a dining companion of President Lee during their judicial training days, adding that it was "in effect the same as President Lee controlling the NEC." He said he had "many reasons" for insisting that a special prosecutor be appointed on the PPP's recommendation.

He went on to say that President Lee and the Democratic Party had covered up the NEC's preferential hiring of family members and drafted legislation that would send NEC critics to prison for 10 years. "If we cannot dismantle this massive election cartel, no amount of special prosecution will solve the fundamental problem," he said.

Young participants in the discussion said the essence of the incident was "dereliction of duty by the NEC and an act that obstructed constitutionally guaranteed basic rights," and stressed the need for a re-election.

Jang replied that "the only way to recover a lost vote is through a re-election," adding that he found it encouraging that the PPP's involvement was opening a new chapter — without which the movement would merely be dismissed as far-right or conspiracy-driven.

He also said the PPP's position was to abolish early voting and hold only election-day voting. "I submitted that bill in the 22nd National Assembly," he said. "It is time to begin and conclude that discussion."

Jang, who has been attending rallies at Olympic Park in Jamsil on consecutive days, is set to visit Gwangju in South Jeolla Province on Wednesday and is coordinating a trip to Daegu as well. He is also considering visiting Olympic Park on July 17, Constitution Day.

"I hope that on July 17, 18 and 19, we all return to June 3 and that a passionate cry to save Korean democracy fills Olympic Park," he said.

After the forum, Jang and party officials moved to a rally denouncing the infringement of voting rights held at Seomyeon Heart Square.

Meanwhile, PPP's two top leaders — Jang and floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik — drew attention Sunday by publicly airing a clear difference of opinion over the party's direction. In a media interview released Sunday morning, Jeong said that while "the will of party members is precious," the party must transform into a "people's party," adding: "If members say they should decide everything, we should refuse all state subsidies. We are a public party that receives tens of billions of won a year."

Jang pushed back on Facebook, writing that the PPP "aims to be a member-centered party" and that "the will of members must be respected to the greatest extent possible" when it comes to the fate of a party leader chosen by members or the disciplining of those subject to expulsion proceedings.

He added that the PPP also "aims to be a people's party," and that now was not the time for an internal power struggle but rather a time to focus on "a people's special prosecutor for the infringement of voting rights, a re-election, and reform of the NEC and the electoral system." A member-centered party, he said, was "the starting point for becoming a people's party."


hss@heraldcorp.com