'Party member board case was opinion manipulation'

'Oh Se-hoon's emergency committee remarks were inappropriate'

(From left) People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon [The Herald Business]
(From left) People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon [The Herald Business]

People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok drew a firm line Thursday against the possible return of independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon to the party, saying he has "not considered it one bit — not rejoining, not anything — as long as I am party leader."

Jang made the remarks in an appearance on Joongang Ilbo's YouTube program "Uncomfortable Yeouido," rejecting calls for Han's readmission. "Are we saying we should simply accept immoral politics, opinion-manipulation politics and divisive politics?" he said. "Are we saying we should plant those seeds back in our party?"

He added that he wanted to turn the question back on those pushing for Han's return. "I would actually like to ask those calling for readmission: in what way do you think it would help?"

Jang said Han has shown little change since being expelled from the party. "Looking at how he fights and how he conducts himself in the media, I think Han has not changed much from before his expulsion," he said. "Only the direction of his attacks has shifted."

Jang repeatedly cited the "party member board" case as the reason Han was expelled. "Han was expelled over the party member board incident," he said. "I see no reason for solidarity or integration."

He went further, saying the incident amounted to criminal conduct. "To define the party member board case in one word: it was immoral. It was opinion manipulation and a criminal act," he said.

Jang described the episode as an attempt to sow internal division. "It was an act of inciting division within and around the party — in other words, immoral politics and opinion-manipulation politics," he said. "Has there been any resolution of that?"

Jang also criticized Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon over recent media remarks in which Oh raised the possibility of an emergency committee structure for the party. "The premise of that question — that there are voices within the party calling for an emergency committee — was clearly wrong, and giving an actively affirmative answer was not appropriate," Jang said. He added that a seasoned politician like Oh should know how to read the intent behind a reporter's question and respond accordingly.

Jang went further, suggesting Oh's answer may have been deliberate. "If he answered knowing all that, there is no other way to read it than that he shares the same intent as the question," he said. "Looking at the statement Oh later posted on Facebook, I am left wondering whether he did it knowingly."

On whether he would seek a second term as party leader, Jang said the decision rests with party members. "What will help most in the general election is completing my term without wavering, strengthening the organization, expanding our talent pool and laying the groundwork for victory," he said. "If that role is carried out well, party members will evaluate the results."


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