South Korean party factions clash over interim leader's potential resignation

Internal pressure is mounting within South Korea's People Power Party for interim leader Jang Dong-hyuk to resign, following controversy over the election commission's handling of the recent local elections. The calls suggest a "revised resignation theory," proposing that Jang should step down only after a parliamentary inquiry into the election commission's shortcomings is concluded.

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If the leadership were to conclude their term after the election commission situation is resolved, at least by autumn, then the distrust that the leadership is using the election commission situation for political advantage could be resolved.

Youth Supreme Council member Woo Jae-joon publicly suggested that the party leadership's term should end by autumn, ideally after the election commission's situation is resolved. Woo argued this would alleviate distrust that the leadership is exploiting the issue for political gain. He had previously called for the entire leadership to resign.

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There were many opinions at the general meeting of lawmakers that the party leadership should decide their own future around the time the parliamentary inquiry into the poor election situation concludes. I agree.

Other party figures have echoed calls for Jang's departure. Kwak Gyu-taek, head of the party's legal support team, stated in a radio interview that many believe the leadership should decide its future after the parliamentary inquiry concludes. A lawmaker from the Seoul metropolitan area also suggested that providing Jang an exit strategy by resigning after the election commission issue is resolved would be necessary.

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How long can Representative Jang hold out by clinging to the issue of by-elections? Replacement is a matter of time.

However, a faction loyal to Jang is resisting these calls. Supreme Council member Cho Gwang-han criticized Woo's remarks as "alien language," while Kim Min-soo, another Supreme Council member, argued in a closed-door meeting that those responsible for the election results should resign. Jang himself has focused on addressing the ballot shortage, proposing that the People Power Party recommend a special prosecutor to investigate and hold those responsible accountable, and has invited the leader of the Democratic Party for a meeting. Meanwhile, Jang was admitted to a hospital due to exhaustion from his demanding schedule, including visiting the protest site at Olympic Park.

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Now it's a special prosecutor. The People Power Party must entrust the investigation into the truth and punishment of those responsible to a special prosecutor recommended by our party.