Party holds public rally denouncing Lee administration's governance record
Criticizes economic, diplomatic and judicial policies
Leadership weighs street campaign after Chuseok holiday
The People Power Party escalated its offensive against the Lee Jae Myung government ahead of the Chuseok holiday, holding a large-scale denunciation rally and branding the administration's policies across economic, diplomatic and judicial fronts as governance failures. The party also signaled plans to launch street protests after the holiday as part of a broader public opinion campaign against the ruling party.
The PPP held the "Public Report Rally on the Misgovernance of the Lee Jae Myung Administration" on the steps of the National Assembly's main building Tuesday. Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik, policy committee chairwoman Lim Yi-ja, secretary-general Jeong Hee-yong, supreme council members and a large number of lawmakers attended. Local party chapter heads, regional council members and rank-and-file members also took part. According to the PPP, about 10,000 people had indicated their intention to attend before the event.
Participants held pickets bearing slogans such as "livelihood collapse, constitutional destruction," "the president must apologize" and "policy failures, personnel disasters." Party organizers asked attendees to put down any signs or banners that did not fit the event's purpose, keeping the focus on criticizing the Lee administration's policies and appointments. Rep. Lee Man-hee said on Channel A that the rally was "an opportunity to inform party members and the public of the various governance failures and problems we have identified in this government."
The PPP mounted a broad offensive against the government and the ruling party at the rally, identifying the collapse of the livelihood economy, the destruction of diplomacy and national security, and the seizure of the judiciary as the administration's chief failures. Specifically, the party cited real estate and tax reform issues, the ETF crisis and other economic concerns; the proposed merger of the Army, Navy and Air Force academies, inter-Korean relations and other security matters; and the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigative powers as examples of what it called policy blunders.
Rep. Park Dae-chul, speaking on the economy, said the "jeonse" crisis and tax burdens had "opened the gates of hell for the people," adding that "it was this government that opened those gates." Park said the government's "arrogance that no market can beat the government" was to blame, and said, "The people cry once over the hell of their livelihoods, and cry again over a president who blames others."
Before the rally, party leader Jang criticized President Lee's approval of the appointments of Lee Hyeong-il as deputy prime minister and minister of economy and finance, Kang Shin-cheol as minister of national defense, and Hong Ji-seon as minister of land, infrastructure and transport, posting on Facebook that President Lee had "declared war on the people" and warning that "a bomb of public sentiment will strike at the heart of this administration."
The PPP leadership is also reviewing plans to follow the rally with street protests after the Chuseok holiday as part of a public opinion campaign. Chief Spokesperson Park Sung-hoon told reporters Monday that "rallies are a space to rally the voices and public sentiment of an angry citizenry," adding that "with outrage over the government's failures pouring out, doing nothing would mean voluntarily abandoning the role and identity of the main opposition party."
mp1256@heraldcorp.com
