Jang Dong-hyuk: 'Does President Lee want to be Supreme Dignity Number Two?'

The Hankyoreh reports on the escalating rhetoric from People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk, who is employing strong 'color theory' tactics by repeatedly comparing Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Jang's primary target is the "fabricated indictment special prosecutor bill" proposed by the Democratic Party, which he vehemently denounces as "violence and a crime."

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There is only one person in the Korean Peninsula who does not go to jail no matter what crime they commit. It is North Korea's supreme dignity Kim Jong Un.

Jang's most provocative statement came during a party meeting, where he declared that only one person in the Korean Peninsula is above the law, referring to North Korea's "supreme dignity" Kim Jong Un. He then ominously suggested that "one more person will be added soon," implying Lee Jae-myung aspires to be "supreme dignity number two." This hyperbolic language aims to frame Lee and his party as seeking absolute immunity from legal scrutiny, a tactic often used in South Korean politics to discredit opponents.

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One more person will be added soon. Does President Lee Jae-myung want to be supreme dignity number two?

Further elaborating on his criticism, Jang argued that the proposed special prosecutor law, which would mobilize hundreds of personnel and cost billions of won in taxpayer money, is not a law but "violence" because it exists solely to erase one person's alleged crimes. He also reiterated his previous day's accusation that Lee has become "Kim Jong Un's spokesperson" and that the "prosecution cancellation special prosecutor bill" would lead to a "socialist constitutional amendment for term extension." The PPP's spokesperson, Park Sung-hoon, acknowledged the difficulty in blocking the bill but expressed hope for cooperation with other opposition parties.

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A law that exists only for one person is not a law, but violence.

From a South Korean perspective, this kind of rhetoric, while inflammatory, is a common feature of intense political battles. The comparison to Kim Jong Un is particularly potent, tapping into deep-seated anxieties about North Korea's authoritarian regime and its perceived threat. The PPP's strategy appears to be to associate Lee Jae-myung with totalitarianism and impunity, aiming to alienate moderate voters and mobilize their base. The Democratic Party, meanwhile, frames the special prosecutor bill as a necessary measure to ensure accountability and prevent abuses of power by the prosecution, a narrative that resonates with their supporters.

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President Lee has long been Kim Jong Un's spokesperson.