'Expectation for future conservative party leadership'

'Impeachment push against chief justice will draw public backlash'

People Power Party lawmaker Kim Yong-tae [Yonhap]
People Power Party lawmaker Kim Yong-tae [Yonhap]

People Power Party lawmaker Kim Yong-tae said Tuesday that party leader Jang Dong-hyeok is now facing a crisis of his own making.

Speaking on KBS Radio that day, Kim said Jang had previously gone to Olympic Park to declare the Seoul mayoral election rigged and call for a by-election. "Now that the Seoul mayor has been acquitted on legal grounds, if someone were to ask Jang whether he still thinks the Seoul mayoral election was rigged — whether there should be a by-election — he would find himself in an extremely difficult position to answer," Kim said.

On the mood within the party following Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon's acquittal on appeal, Kim said things had "improved considerably." He added that because the current party leadership had largely been taking positions that reflect the views of hard-line members, there was growing hope that Oh could serve as a moderating force.

On the question of party leadership, Kim said the media attention drawn by figures such as Oh, Han Dong-hoon, lawmaker Lee Jun-seok and former lawmaker Yoo Seong-min ultimately reflected expectations for conservative party leadership after Jang's tenure. "What people are waiting for are conservative leaders who can talk about unity, a vision for the future and reform for the country," he said.

Meanwhile, Kim criticized the Rebuilding Korea Party's push to impeach Chief Justice Jo Hee-dae, saying it was "deeply regrettable" that politicians were turning the judiciary's rulings into a political battleground and using them as a weapon. "If they go ahead with it, they will take a direct hit from public backlash," he said.


mp1256@heraldcorp.com