People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok (left) and former Daegu Mayor Hong Jun-pyo. [Herald DB·Yonhap]
People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok (left) and former Daegu Mayor Hong Jun-pyo. [Herald DB·Yonhap]

Former Daegu Mayor Hong Jun-pyo launched a sharp attack Wednesday on moves within the People Power Party to rally around floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik, calling the effort an attempt to undermine party leader Jang Dong-hyeok.

Writing on Facebook, Hong said he had heard that "the pathetic three-term lawmakers got together and resolved to unite behind floor leader Jeong, saying the party cannot fight a general election or presidential election with Jang Dong-hyeok," and that four-term and above lawmakers were reportedly planning to do the same.

He said the moves amounted to "disrespecting a 1.5-term party leader," adding: "Every time a crisis hits, they fail to stick together and scramble to save their own skins — they are truly pitiful. Do they really want to cling to their Assembly seats that badly?"

Hong also took aim at the senior lawmakers' past conduct.

"They already curried favor under a zero-term party leader," he said, referring to former leader Lee Jun-seok, "and some are still fawning over the expelled 0.5-term Han Dong-hoon." He added that lawmakers too afraid of losing their seats to even run for the party's supreme council were now trying to ignore and destabilize a party leader who had earned the support of party members and the public.

Hong also dismissed Jeong directly, saying he found it puzzling that "a floor leader elected by nothing more than a vote of Assembly members thinks he has the legitimacy to represent the party."

The PPP leadership has been showing signs of alarm over falling approval ratings and moving to regroup. Three-term PPP lawmakers, including Jeong, held a dinner meeting at an undisclosed location in Seoul on Monday, where participants reportedly reached a consensus that the party must rally behind Jeong to overcome its current crisis.

Four-term and above PPP lawmakers are set to hold a separate gathering Thursday. A significant number of them are said to be critical of what they describe as Jang's "disciplinary politics" — a reference to ongoing proceedings by the party's ethics committee targeting the leader.

PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok appeared on the Pen and Mike YouTube channel Wednesday and expressed frustration with senior party lawmakers — including those who recently joined President Lee Jae Myung for a golf outing — who have been calling for his resignation.

"When we should be fighting the Lee Jae Myung government and the Democratic Party tooth and nail, some are out playing golf with a president who dreams of a constitutional amendment to extend his term and arguing that we should support it," Jang said. "Others do nothing but say every day that the party will lose the general election with me as leader. How are we supposed to win like this?"

He went on to say that "if lawmakers decide their nomination prospects look unfavorable and fixate only on replacing the party leader and leadership, party members, supporters and the public will all be disappointed."

Approaching the first anniversary of his inauguration as party leader, Jang also emphasized his push to replace local party chapter heads under a member-centered party model, calling it "the right moment and the last chance to drive real change."

"I will replace chapter heads who do not follow the party constitution and rules, and those who would not win in the next general election, with people who can win," Jang said. "The decision-making authority will be returned to party members, not held by the party leader."


betterj@heraldcorp.com