"Brave Birds Hide Their Claws" Jang Je-won Posts Meaningful Message on SNS

"Determination to Devote Everything for the Yoon Administration"
"Seems to Have Much Communication with the President"

On the 3rd, People Power Party lawmaker Jang Je-won left a meaningful post on his social media service (SNS), sparking various interpretations within political circles about the background of his message.

On the same day, Jang introduced a phrase he received from Seongpa, the Supreme Patriarch of the Jogye Order. The phrase was '猛禽陰爪 執弓待?(Maenggeum Eumjo Jipgung Daeto)'. Jang wrote, "A fierce bird hides its claws. It means to hold a bow and wait for the rabbit," adding, "I am deeply grateful for the great monk's teaching."

On July 26th, Jang Je-won, the chairman of the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee, is presiding over a plenary session.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Jang’s introduction of this phrase is interpreted as an expression of his will to "quietly wait for the right moment." Jang is considered a core figure of the pro-Yoon faction alongside lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong. He was also a key player in the formation of the current administration by successfully negotiating the unification between Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party’s presidential candidate, and Ahn Cheol-soo, the People’s Party presidential candidate during the 2022 presidential election. During the party convention, he formed the so-called "Kim-Jang alliance (Kim Ki-hyun and Jang Je-won alliance)," which is credited with contributing to Kim Ki-hyun’s election as party leader.

However, since the People Power Party convention in March, Jang has refrained from SNS and public activities. After openly supporting candidate Kim Ki-hyun, Jang faced intense scrutiny from non-Yoon faction party leadership contenders. When rumors circulated that Jang would become the party secretary-general if Kim became party leader, Jang declared a retreat to the second line by stating, "I will not hold any appointed party positions in the next party leadership."

Recently, there has been analysis suggesting a shift in the power structure within the ruling party, with Lee Cheol-gyu as secretary-general, Park Seong-min as deputy head of strategic planning, and Park Soo-young as head of the Yeouido Research Institute being called the new pro-Yoon trio. In this context, Jang’s phrase "A fierce bird hides its claws" is interpreted as his resolve to "endure and wait patiently until the right time comes." Some speculate that Jang may make a significant decision regarding next year’s general election.

Fellow party member Ha Tae-kyung interpreted Jang’s post as "an expression of his will to dedicate everything for the Yoon Seok-yeol administration." In an MBC radio interview on the 4th, Ha said, "(Jang) has always been one of the closest people to the president. It seems to be the case even now and likely will be in the future."

Regarding Jang’s potential candidacy in the general election, Ha speculated, "If there is communication with the president, whether Jang runs or not may not be important to him, because he can take on any role. Of course, he is probably thinking about running, but it seems he has a lot of communication with the president."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.