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Leader of the People Power Party, Jang Dong-hyeok, said on the 7th, “The emergency martial law imposed on December 3, 2024, was an unsuitable action,” and mentioned, “As the party in power then, we take considerable responsibility and sincerely apologize to the public.”

Leader Jang held a press event at the People Power Party office in Yeouido, Seoul, on that day. On the issue of the emergency martial law, he stated, “We created significant confusion and trouble for our citizens and caused deep harm to party members who have supported the liberal democratic constitutional system,” expressing his position accordingly.

Leader Jang said, “The People Power Party will not make the same errors again,” and mentioned, “We will thoroughly examine our previous mistakes and present a fresh image.” He noted, “The People Power Party was lacking. We will identify our errors and responsibilities within the party.” He further stated, “We will let the judiciary and historical assessment fairly judge past events, and we will move forward beyond the challenges of martial law and impeachment.”

Concerning the June 3 local elections, Leader Jang remarked, “We aim to position 2030 youth as actual leaders within our party,” and announced, “We will implement a ‘mandatory youth nomination policy’ for the upcoming local elections.” He further mentioned, “We will hold a ‘2030 Talent Recruitment Open Audition’ and assign chosen young talents to important party roles.”

Leader Jang stated, “We plan to create a ‘State Affairs Alternative Task Force (TF)’ inside the People Power Party in order to bring together top experts from different areas, regardless of their political affiliations.” He further mentioned, “We will broaden and restructure the ‘Committee for Solidarity with the Vulnerable’ into the ‘Committee for Togetherness’ and make it a permanent entity across all 254 local party chapters throughout the country. Additionally, we will set up a new department within the party to address policies concerning labor-affected groups and appoint a labor specialist advisor to the party leader.”

Leader Jang said, “To secure ‘election victories,’ we will seek extensive political partnerships.” He added, “If someone supports liberal democratic principles and has the same objective of stopping the authoritarian rule of President Lee Jae-myung’s government, we will welcome them with open arms and collaborate.”

Leader Jang also indicated his plan to advocate for a change in the party’s name. He stated, “We will re-examine the party’s values and orientation and gather input from all party members before proceeding with a name change.” He further mentioned, “We aim to establish a central party, and if a specific number of members request it regarding internal matters, we will conduct a ‘full-party member vote’ following consideration by the Supreme Council.”

Dear citizens, I am Jang Dong-hyeok, the head of the People Power Party. Today, I would like to discuss the future direction our party aims to take.

I have encountered numerous citizens in the field and heard the opinions of party members who are devoted to our party. Many of you have questioned if the People Power Party can prevent the authoritarian rule of President Lee Jae-myung’s administration. Party members expressed concerns about whether we could stand together as a cohesive force.

Currently, the People Power Party needs to experience a ‘victory-oriented change.’

Initially, I will explain our stance regarding the emergency martial law. On the night of December 3, 2024, 18 lawmakers from the People Power Party, including myself, participated in the vote to repeal the emergency martial law. Following the vote, all members of the People Power Party advised the president to quickly lift the emergency martial law.

The state of emergency martial law announced on December 3, 2024, was an ill-suited response to the circumstances. It led to significant confusion and hardship for our citizens and caused severe harm to party members who have supported the liberal democratic constitutional system. As the governing party, a key component of the state’s administration, we did not carry out our duties properly. We deeply regret this failure and sincerely apologize to the public.

The People Power Party will avoid making the same errors again. We will thoroughly examine our previous mistakes and introduce a fresh image. We will refrain from repeating actions that caused harm to the public and party members by reverting to past behaviors.

The People Power Party fell short. We will identify our errors and accountability within the party. We will begin again from the viewpoint of the citizens. We will move beyond the past and enter the lives of the people.

We will let the judiciary and historical perspective assess past occurrences, and we will overcome the challenges of martial law and impeachment to head towards the future.

I will guide the People Power Party’s ‘winning transformation’ by implementing courageous changes and creative reforms. Through the three foundations of a ‘youth-focused party,’ an ‘expert network-based party,’ and ‘public agreement partnerships,’ we will broaden the party’s influence and bring about significant change.

First, a ‘youth-centered party.’

We aim to position the 2030 youth as active leaders within our party. We will implement a ‘mandatory youth nomination system’ for the upcoming local elections. We will greatly reduce the obstacles for young individuals and identify and support promising young politicians. We will expand the ‘Frank Criticism Committee,’ which consists of 2030 members, into a permanent party organization. The party leader will personally participate in regular meetings. We will create ‘2030 Local Youth TFs’ in every regional party chapter and hold regular meetings to ensure the input of local youth is reflected in party policies. We will organize a ‘2030 Talent Recruitment Open Audition’ and assign selected young talents to important party roles.

Second, a ‘network-focused expert party.’

We will develop a new platform where the combined knowledge of specialists shapes policy-making and restructures the party into an organization centered around an expert network. We will create a new ‘State Affairs Alternative Task Force.’ We will bring together top experts from various disciplines, regardless of political affiliations. We will move the political focus from ideological disputes to policy matters. Every Wednesday, we will hold a ‘Livelihood Economy Review Meeting’ with economic specialists to assess our citizens’ well-being and release a ‘Weekly Livelihood Report.’ We will convert the Yeouido Research Institute, the party’s research center, into an ‘expert network hub.’ We will greatly increase its funding to significantly improve our ability to develop policies.

Third, ‘public consensus alliances.’

We will rebuild public confidence via ‘public consensus partnerships’ that include ‘alliances with the marginalized,’ ‘intergenerational partnerships,’ ‘policy partnerships,’ and ‘political partnerships.’

Initially, we will broaden and restructure the ‘Committee for Solidarity with the Vulnerable’ into the ‘Committee for Togetherness’ and make it a formal entity within all 254 local party branches. We will provide it with communication and policy creation functions. We will create a distinct department inside the party to manage policies concerning labor-vulnerable groups and assign a labor specialist advisor to the party leader.

We will actively work towards forming ‘intergenerational partnerships.’ We will create a ‘Generational Integration Committee’ that includes all age groups, from those in their 20s to seniors, serving as a platform for shaping agendas and policies. Additionally, we will set up a ‘Mom (Mother)-Friendly Committee’ to enhance dialogue with parents.

By forming ‘policy alliances’ with opposing parties, we will collaboratively create and advocate for policies that support living standards.

Furthermore, to secure ‘election victories,’ we will seek extensive political partnerships. Anyone who supports liberal democratic principles and has the same objective of stopping the authoritarian rule of President Lee Jae-myung’s government, we will welcome them with open arms and collaborate.

Citizens, the three foundations of ‘successful transformation’ I discussed today will serve as the fundamental basis for policy creation, turning the People Power Party into a genuine policy-focused party.

In addition to these three foundations, I will advocate for more courageous political changes. We will re-examine the party’s principles and orientation, and gather input from all party members to move forward with a new party name.

We are committed to eliminating corruption and achieving ‘clean governance.’ Beginning with the local elections, we will set up a ‘Nomination Corruption Reporting Center’ to remove corruption and misconduct in the nomination process. We will permanently bar those with a record of bribery or other improper conduct from being nominated. Furthermore, the central party will oversee nominations for local government leaders of a certain level to guarantee openness and fairness in the selection process.

We intend to establish a party focused on its members. For significant internal matters, if a specific number of party members request it, we will conduct a ‘full-party member vote’ following discussion by the Supreme Council. We will rename ‘responsible members’ and enhance their privileges.

We will replace the “local election nomination rules” with “victory guidelines.” We will implement primaries as a standard practice but modify the proportion of party member representation based on the region and objectives to secure electoral victories. In strategic areas, we will proactively explore selecting candidates via open auditions. We aim to establish a party where members are the true owners and usher in an era of 2 million accountable members.

Citizens, kindly observe the latest updates and advancements that the People Power Party will introduce. We kindly ask for your backing and confidence. Thank you.