People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok delivers opening remarks at a supreme council meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on Monday. [Lee Sang-sub]
People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok delivers opening remarks at a supreme council meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on Monday. [Lee Sang-sub]

People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok said Monday that President Lee Jae Myung and the Democratic Party still do not understand why the public is angry — and warned that the party would soon be moving its headquarters into a "junked bus."

Jang made the remarks in a Facebook post, quoting Democratic Party acting leader and floor leader Han Byung-do, who had asked whether the PPP was saying that a policy, once set, must be pushed through even when the public raises objections.

The exchange was the latest volley in an ongoing dispute. The PPP had criticized President Lee's order to review his ISA reform plan and a bill to prevent share price suppression as a case of "announce first, reverse later" and "slapdash governance," and Han had pushed back — prompting Jang's rebuttal.

The "junked bus headquarters" jab appeared to target Democratic Party lawmaker Hwang Hee, who had proposed remodeling decommissioned buses into housing units — a concept he called "Bus House" — as part of a youth housing supply initiative.

As the Bus House idea drew ridicule, the Democratic Party distanced itself from the proposal, saying it reflected Hwang's personal opinion and not the party's position. Hwang deleted his post on the matter and walked back the idea, calling it "a purely exploratory thought."

Jang also cited President Lee's own words — "Why did you do it that way without being properly prepared?" — and turned them back on the ruling party. "It is the duty of the government and the ruling party to prepare thoroughly enough that the public never has cause to raise objections in the first place," he said. "Have you no remorse for rolling out policies that provoke public outrage and sowing confusion?"

He added that the ISA was far from the only policy drawing public criticism. "From stripping investigative powers, to merging the military academies, to stock market policy, to the yellow envelope bill — more than half the public, and in some cases over 60 percent, is demanding policy corrections," Jang said. "If public sentiment is the ultimate standard for judging policy, all of it should be fixed immediately."

He also dismissed the suggestion that the PPP's lack of cooperation was blocking real estate supply measures. "The Democratic Party has passed countless bad laws on its own, without any deliberation," he said. "Now suddenly it needs opposition cooperation only for real estate bills? That's laughable."


shindw@heraldcorp.com