Jang Dong-hyeok says Lee struggling to walk back 'absurd' claim; party weighs street protests over special prosecutor bill
The People Power Party on Thursday criticized President Lee Jae Myung's recent remarks about "real estate fake news," saying he was "in effect fighting not the press but the people."
PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok made the remarks at a supreme council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, saying Lee appeared to be struggling to walk back an "absurd" claim that housing prices were falling at a remarkable pace.
"When all the media and the public pushed back, he dismissed the coverage as fake news by saying he was only talking about the three Gangnam districts — Gangnam, Seocho and Songpa-gu," Jang said. "He made a slip of the tongue trying to take credit for something he never achieved, and now he picks fights with the press on social media at all hours."
Jang said Lee's own words amounted to a self-confession. "If you piece together what the president is saying, he is admitting himself that his real estate policy is about beating down Gangnam," he said. "He is also confessing that it is not real estate policy at all — it is real estate politics designed to win applause from the left."
Jang also said Lee had called eight consecutive weeks of price declines in the three Gangnam districts a "long-term drop" while staying silent on Seoul housing prices rising for 90 consecutive weeks. "Ending housing anxiety ultimately means ending the Lee Jae Myung administration — remarkably fast," he added.
Turning to the Democratic Party of Korea's plan to push through the so-called fabricated-indictment special prosecutor act at a plenary session, Jang said the bill had nothing to do with people's livelihoods or economic recovery. "It is a bill to save one man — Lee Jae Myung," he said.
On the Democratic Party's decision to drop a provision allowing the special prosecutor to withdraw charges, Jang said the public already knew full well that "eight, ten, twenty other paths to dropping charges remain open even without that clause." "Wasn't the very purpose of drafting this law to get the charges dropped?" he said.
Jang said the only thing left was for Lee to "twist the arm of the prosecution chief" into withdrawing the charges. "If they recklessly push through a special prosecutor aimed at dropping charges, the people will hold them accountable by canceling this administration," he said.
PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik went further, warning of street protests. "We will start with a filibuster — unlimited debate — right away and mobilize every means at our disposal," Jeong said. "If we are blocked in Yeouido, we will take to the streets. Together with the people, we will stop this ugly parliamentary coup."
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