Embracing Both Honam and Hwang Kyoahn? Jang Donghyuk Faces Dilemma in Urgent Push to Broaden Party Appeal

Last Week: "Standing with Honam," This Week: "We are Hwang Kyoahn"
People Power Party's Support Declines Amid Hot-and-Cold Strategy
Balancing Internal Unity and Broadening Appeal Ahead of Local Elections

Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, has once again found himself at the center of controversy with his remark, "We are Hwang Kyoahn." Just a week after visiting Gwangju and pledging to "stand with Honam with sincerity," he has shown signs of strengthening ties with far-right forces, prompting even members within his own party to express confusion. In political circles, there is analysis that, ahead of next year's local elections, attempts to both broaden the party's appeal and solidify internal unity could backfire.

People Power Party leader Jang Donghyuk is speaking at the "Rally Urging the Recovery of 740 Billion Won from the Daejangdong Gang and Condemning External Pressure to Drop the Prosecutor's Appeal" held on the 12th in front of the National Assembly Main Building in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

According to political sources on the 14th, the People Power Party has recently ramped up its offensive against the government and the ruling party. Since the prosecution dropped its appeal in the Daejangdong case, Jang has used increasingly harsh language to refer to President Lee Jaemyung, calling him a "disaster," "dictator," and "Hitler." This is interpreted as an attempt to rally opposition supporters by capitalizing on the government's and ruling party's missteps.

The controversial "We are Hwang Kyoahn" remark was also made at the People Power Party's rally on the 12th, which condemned the prosecution's decision to drop the appeal. While the intention was to urge the opposition to unite in response to the special prosecutor's request for an arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Hwang, some in political circles argued that it was inappropriate to align with Hwang, who has defended "Yoon Again" and "election fraud" narratives. The criticism is that reinforcing a far-right frame at a time when the party should be broadening its appeal ahead of next year's local elections may not be helpful.

As the controversy grew, Jang explained at a closed-door party meeting the previous day, "It was not an off-the-cuff remark but a strategic one," and asked, "Please do not criticize me on air and wait." However, criticism has continued, especially from pro-Han Donghoon figures such as Assemblyman Jeong Seongguk and former Supreme Council member Kim Jonghyuk. Since Jang had just recently visited Gwangju and pledged to "visit Honam every month," some in political circles have questioned whether this was a strategic misstep.

For now, Jang's "hot-and-cold" strategy does not appear to be effective. According to the NBS (National Barometer Survey) conducted by Embrain Public, Kstat Research, Korea Research, and Hankook Research from the 10th to the 12th among 1,004 men and women aged 18 and older, party support stood at 42% for the Democratic Party and 21% for the People Power Party, with the gap widening. The sharp drop in support among moderates-from 19% to 11%-following issues such as the visit to former President Yoon Sukyeol, appears to have contributed to this.

Park Seongtae, head of research at People and Society Institute, said in a phone interview, "Before visiting Gwangju, it would have been more important to address the issue of martial law," adding, "Jang may have tried to provoke a backlash from Gwangju citizens to shore up support in the Busan region ahead of next year's local elections." Regarding the widening gap in party support, he explained, "The prosecution's decision to drop the appeal in the Daejangdong case has little relevance to the everyday lives of ordinary citizens, so its impact on public opinion is limited."

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