Two-Track Strategy Adopted by the Ruling Party: Focus on Livelihood Initiatives and Constitutional Court Pressure

Party Leadership Continues Policy Initiatives with Youth Meetings
Individual Lawmakers Pressure Constitutional Court with Petitions and Relay Protests
Adopts Two-Track Strategy Against Opposition's "Yoon Impeachment" Offensive

The People Power Party adopted a two-track strategy to counter the opposition's full-scale offensive following President Yoon Seok-yeol's release. While the party leadership continues its focus on livelihood issues, individual lawmakers have taken on roles in extra-parliamentary struggles, such as pressuring the Constitutional Court.

On the 12th, the People Power Party held a 'Youth Policy Meeting' at the National Assembly Sarangjae. The leadership, including Floor Leader Kwon Seong-dong and Policy Committee Chairman Kim Sang-hoon, attended to listen to the voices of the younger generation.

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At this meeting, the People Power Party announced plans to increase the scholarship ratio relative to total tuition fees to alleviate the burden of university tuition and to expand the criteria for multi-child education support. Recently, the party has been targeting the 2030 generation by listening to their views on pension reform and proposing measures to revitalize virtual assets.

The leadership plans to focus on livelihood issues while refraining from collective actions such as pressuring the Constitutional Court until the impeachment ruling is made. Although counteractions against the opposition's extra-parliamentary struggles were discussed at the party meeting on the 11th, the party decided not to take action at the organizational level. Floor Leader Kwon Seong-dong stated, "We have decided not to engage in extra-parliamentary struggles or hunger strikes to pressure the Constitutional Court like the Democratic Party," but added, "It is up to individual lawmakers to act according to their judgment and convictions, and we do not intend to issue guidelines." This cautious approach stems from concerns that engaging in extra-parliamentary confrontations could draw attention to the Democratic Party or unnecessarily provoke the judiciary.

Separately, individual lawmakers have ignited public opinion against impeachment through extra-parliamentary struggles. On the same day, 82 People Power Party lawmakers, including Representative Na Kyung-won, planned to submit a second public petition to the Constitutional Court. Regarding concerns that the petition might be seen as pressure on the court, Representative Na responded, "It is not pressure but a sincere hope and plea," adding, "It is a reasonable request to strictly observe the procedures and principles of constitutional adjudication." On the 28th of last month, 76 People Power Party lawmakers, including Representative Na, had already submitted a petition to the Constitutional Court, arguing procedural flaws in the impeachment trial of President Yoon.

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Relay protests urging the Constitutional Court to dismiss President Yoon's impeachment continue in front of the court. Starting on the 11th with Representatives Yoon Sang-hyun and Kang Seung-gyu, more than 40 lawmakers are expected to join from the 13th onward. Representative Yoon stated, "A ruling on an impeachment trial with procedural defects cannot have legitimacy," and insisted, "The impeachment motion must be dismissed."

Political circles analyze that the People Power Party has divided roles to target hardline conservatives and moderate voters separately. Individual lawmakers align with the hardline supporters who have rallied around President Yoon's release, while the leadership pursues livelihood policies to appeal to the moderate electorate. This strategy is interpreted as an effort to differentiate from the Democratic Party while securing room for maneuver depending on the impeachment ruling outcome.

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