Even Without Voting Rights, Text Bombardment... Ruling Party Struggles Without Portable Chargers

Regarding the vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol, members of the People Power Party are suffering from a large-scale 'text bomb' attack.

According to political circles on the 8th, People Power Party members have been inundated with texts and calls since the declaration of martial law. There are reports that even if they fully charge their mobile phones before going to work, they cannot last two hours without a backup battery. They also complain that even when they set certain words as blocked phrases, messages are resent with special characters inserted, making blocking difficult.

Text message reception status posted on Facebook by a member of the People Power Party. Yonhap News Agency

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According to verified reviews posted online, netizens sent text messages containing criticism such as, “What is the point of talking about democracy when you don’t even come to vote? Because of your negligence, do the people have to go out on the streets on cold weekends?” and “A lawmaker who gives up the position representing the people has no qualification as a citizen before being a member of the National Assembly.”

People from the People Power Party are moving from their seats in the National Assembly plenary session on the afternoon of the 7th to vote on the special investigation law concerning First Lady Kim Keon-hee. Photo by Yonhap News

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The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) opened and publicly shared a link (website address) on the 5th that automatically sends texts urging People Power Party lawmakers opposing President Yoon’s impeachment to support the impeachment. As of the 8th, the site is inaccessible.

Before and after the vote on President Yoon’s impeachment motion, it was often seen that legislative aides delivered charged backup batteries to lawmakers in front of the People Power Party’s caucus meeting room.

As the situation continued where even necessary work-related contacts were impossible, a three-term lawmaker from Daegu-Gyeongbuk (TK) shared a download link for an application that blocks calls and texts from numbers not saved in contacts in a Telegram chatroom where People Power Party lawmakers gathered.

Kim Jae-won, the Supreme Council Member of the People Power Party, expressed distress over receiving a barrage of text messages. Photo by Kim Jae-won, Facebook capture

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Angry texts from some citizens were also directed at key party officials who are not current lawmakers. Kim Jae-won, a Supreme Council member, posted on his Facebook on the same day, “I, Kim Jae-won, am a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party but not a member of the National Assembly,” adding, “Although I have no voting rights on the presidential impeachment motion, I have received thousands of abusive and insulting calls and text messages from yesterday until now. Please exclude me.”

The People Power Party stated in an official position that “the organized and collective sending of texts using lawmakers’ personal information without permission is an illegal act,” warning that it will take strong legal action against personal information leaks and obstruction of work.

The police installed a protective net against thrown objects at the People Power Party headquarters building in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido on the same day. This measure was taken to prepare for any sudden actions by protesters opposing the ruling party lawmakers’ absence from the impeachment vote.

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