People Power Party on the Brink Ahead of June 3 Local Elections, Holds Decisive Debate with Criticism over "Break with Yoon"

Senior Lawmakers Also Call for "Change"

On March 9, approximately three months before the June 3 local elections, the People Power Party held an emergency general assembly of lawmakers at the National Assembly, engaging in a decisive debate over the party’s direction, including a complete break with former President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, is attending the party meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on March 9, 2026. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

The assembly drew particular attention as Mayor Oh Se-hoon, considered the party’s leading candidate for the highly contested Seoul mayoral race, had made the significant move of not applying for nomination, setting a change in the party’s direction as a precondition.

At the assembly, which was attended by over 70 people, senior lawmakers who had previously refrained from making public statements voiced their sense of crisis over a potential election defeat, with several expressing the need for a break from Yoon (“jeol-yoon”) and reflection on the 12·3 Martial Law Incident.

At around 3 p.m., Floor Leader Song Eon-seok took the floor, stating, “I am standing here with the thought that today’s remarks may be my last political statement,” and delivered a strongly worded speech.

He pointed out, “Questions continue to be raised about the party’s direction and management. This is not a simple political dispute, but a matter threatening the survival of the People Power Party.”

He then proposed that the party should publicly and clearly announce its apology and position of reflection before the public regarding both the break with Yoon and the 12·3 Martial Law Incident.

In the closed-door portion of the assembly, it was reported that senior lawmakers such as Shin Seong-beom, Sung Il-jong, Cho Kyung-tae, and Yoon Sang-hyun took the podium in succession, supporting Floor Leader Song’s arguments.

Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk was reportedly seated in the front row, attentively listening and taking notes as lawmakers spoke.

Cho Kyung-tae, a six-term lawmaker from Busan, told reporters outside the assembly, “I have repeatedly stated since last time that it is seriously wrong to pursue a politics of division—including a break with former President Yoon—if we aim to win the local elections,” adding, “I also said that courage is needed to withdraw the expulsion of former leader Han Dong-hoon in order to demonstrate unifying leadership.”

Kim Tae-ho, a four-term lawmaker from South Gyeongsang Province, told reporters, “We have not clearly shown the public the meaning of breaking with Yoon. There was a call at the assembly to send a clear message about this break, and I agree.”

The issue of Mayor Oh’s “non-registration” as a candidate also came up during the assembly.

Yoon Sang-hyun, a five-term lawmaker from the Seoul metropolitan area, explained to reporters, “Mayor Oh’s actions yesterday were not out of the blue; rather, they were a strategic signal warning of the structural risk of defeat in this election and urging the party to struggle for change. Instead of just criticizing Mayor Oh, it is time for lawmakers to offer answers,” adding that he called for an extension of the Seoul mayoral candidate registration period.

It was also reported that there were calls for the resignation of Yoon Min-woo, the party’s Ethics Committee Chair, who had expelled or disciplined former leader Han Dong-hoon and several of his close associates.

The People Power Party is said to be planning to adopt a resolution containing the break with Yoon and reflection on the martial law incident following the assembly.

In his opening remarks, Floor Leader Song stated, “Today, I intend to consolidate the collective will of our lawmakers and finalize our party’s position at the end.”

Previously, on March 7, Mayor Oh had posted a message titled “Final Appeal,” stating, “Unless the precondition of normalizing the party’s direction is met, there is no point in accepting candidate registrations or holding primaries. We must reach a definitive conclusion on how to restore public trust and win the election.”

This is why some believe that, following the adoption of the assembly resolution, Mayor Oh might gain justification to run for office.

Park Su-min, the party’s spokesperson, told reporters, “At the closed-door assembly, we had a broad and candid discussion about changing the party’s direction and internal conflicts, with senior lawmakers in particular making many remarks. It seems we will be able to consolidate the collective will.”

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