People Power Party Chief Jang Dong-hyuk Keeps Amplifying Calls for Impeachment

Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, has set winning the next general election as the party's official goal in order to pursue the impeachment of President Lee Jae-myung, and has been voicing this stance day after day. Over the weekend, he argued that the party "must secure enough seats in the general election to make presidential impeachment proceedings (the process of petitioning for an impeachment trial) possible," and at Cheong Wa Dae on this day, he again demanded "give us the power to impeach President Lee Jae-myung." It is unusual for the leader of an opposition party to tout securing the seats needed to impeach a sitting president as if it were a campaign pledge.

A presidential impeachment requires approval from at least two-thirds of sitting lawmakers — more than 200 seats — the same threshold as a constitutional amendment. Jang's remarks are therefore effectively interpreted as a declaration of intent to secure 200 or more seats in the next general election.

Within the party, however, there is disagreement over Jang's line. In an SBS radio interview on the 9th, Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun argued that the conservative camp must unite to win the 2028 general election and take power in the next presidential election. He pointed out that if the Jang Dong-hyuk leadership does not move toward unification, a "new political platform" — in a form other than founding a new party — will be needed. He cited the DJP alliance's rise to power as well as the presidential election defeat that followed the 1987 split between the two Kims.