- Resolving internal party conflicts must come first... Aftereffects of local elections are significant
- To expand to the center, a sincere stance from the party must come first
- Step-by-step integration needed for interested parties Jang Dong-hyuk and Han Dong-hoon
- Current situation is like a kite caught in a paulownia tree... Someone needs to untangle it
- Jang Dong-hyuk's resignation: A justification must be provided within possible limits
- Han Dong-hoon attempting to rejoin the party with a "gradually blending in" strategy... It will be effective
- Han Dong-hoon's reinstatement under the Jang Dong-hyuk leadership is possible if a justification is provided
■ Broadcast: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show (FM 103.5MHz 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM)
■ Date: July 21, 2026 (Tuesday)
■ Host: Attorney Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Representative Lee Sang-hwi of the People Power Party
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: There seem to be some differing opinions within the party regarding Representative Jang Dong-hyuk's outdoor political moves. Let's talk with Representative Lee Sang-hwi of the People Power Party to hear about the atmosphere inside the party. Hello, Representative.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Long time no see.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Long time no see, Representative.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: You seem to be getting younger.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Thank you. You are getting younger too, Representative.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: It seems like you are aging in reverse.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Thank you. I will get even younger.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: I want to be like you too.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Your constituency is Pohang, right? Pohang Nam-Ulleung. Is that correct?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: That is correct.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: You are a first-term lawmaker from the TK (Daegu-Gyeongbuk) region. Aren't you a member of "Alternative and Future"?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: It is a bit difficult to describe myself as a member of "Alternative and Future."
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: But you always have your name listed there.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: At the time, there was a declaration stating that we must sever ties with former President Yoon Suk-yeol, and I agreed with that. So, my name was put on the list. It is not that I entirely agree with everything "Alternative and Future" says, but I do agree with working for the party in some aspects. So, you could say I have not been actively participating in it.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: I see.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Recently, I left their group chat—you know, the group chatroom. I felt sorry because I couldn't actively participate, so I left. I felt it just wasn't my style.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: The reason I asked is because you are a first-term lawmaker from the TK region. Currently, TK lawmakers make up the largest number in the People Power Party.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Yes.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: I invited you today because I was curious about how you view the current situation inside the party.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: The situation inside the party?
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Let's look at things one by one first. Current Party Representative Jang Dong-hyuk is rarely in the representative's office. He is going outdoors, frequently visiting Olympic Park. He didn't even attend the Constitution Day ceremony. I heard he is visiting Gyeonggi Province and Daegu this week. How do you evaluate Representative Jang's outdoor politics?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Putting aside whether Representative Jang is doing well or not overall, I have always believed—and this is my firm conviction—that politics should not be a zero-sum game. Politics is not a zero-sum game, but a battle of influence. Each person is given a role based on their capability and essence, and the party is formed through their intersection. That is how I see it.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Looking at the way the party is moving forward now, it seems like the party itself is repeatedly playing a zero-sum game. The line of struggle regarding Olympic Park—often referred to as "Olgong"—presents an awkward situation where it is difficult either to go or not to go.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: So, looking at it from another perspective, even before being the party representative, Representative Jang Dong-hyuk is a politician. In a situation where the public's suffrage is damaged and constitutional values are significantly shaken nationally, it is understandable that he feels the need to unite the public and struggle against this rather than just focusing on his position as party representative. However, looking at it from the continuous perspective of creating the political process, wouldn't it be right to first resolve the internal party situation, which is in a state of considerable confrontation and conflict, before moving on to a line of struggle? That is how I see it.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: You mean the order of things.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Yes. Moreover, the timing when this Olympic Park struggle line was established was either during or immediately after the June 3 local elections. In such a situation, there are many remaining aftereffects of the local elections, and there could be various opinions about them. Even if it is not necessarily a situation of conflict and confrontation, it is right to have a sincere analysis, dialogue, and discussion first before talking about other things. But looking closely, he went straight to the outdoor struggle.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: So, it's not that it was wrong, but in terms of the order and the process, this suffrage issue should not be understood merely politically or strategically. From the perspective of the opposition party, it is only natural to take a strong stance to protect the public's suffrage and democracy. Nevertheless, it has ended up in an awkward stance, which is regrettable.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Representative Jang says this helps with expanding to the center, but does it really help? Does doing this actually raise the People Power Party's approval rating and help win the general election?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: That is exactly my point. Politics must go through significant labor pains in its process. Technically speaking, expanding to the center is based on "Duverger's law" (the law that winner-take-all electoral systems create a two-party system centered on major parties), where the creation of a government depends on who wins over the center amid extreme confrontation between the two major parties. Isn't that the logic?
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: This part becomes very important as an election approaches. Of course, in other national crisis situations, it could be true or possible to create an intersection of forces through expanding to the center. However, for this to have explosive power—that is, impact—it is difficult without the party's support and solidarity. Therefore, a sincere stance from the party on this matter must come out immediately. The party representative must lead this, create it, and guide it to the public square so that it can become a seed and have great scalability to revive democracy.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: So, right now, there are aspects that make it somewhat difficult to understand this as an expansion to the center.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: You haven't been to Olympic Park, have you, Representative?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Yes, I haven't been able to go yet.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: It seems like you don't have plans to go.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: My daughter is going.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Is that so?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Yes.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: But I see you are wearing a badge that says "Defending Suffrage." So, in any case, even if it wasn't a rigged election, you believe there is a problem with the poor management of election administration, right?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: To borrow my daughter's words:
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Your daughter?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: I asked her, "Why do you go there?" Her answer was very simple. Whether it is one person, a hundred, or a thousand, the people are the ones who suffered direct damage regarding the right to vote, which is the very foundation and root of democracy. Yet, they have never heard a single sincere apology from the government or other stakeholders involved. She asked, "Doesn't that make you angry?"
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: So, because of that, she wants to at least hear a voice of sincere apology. However, although it might be her narrow view, she said she feels that this should not keep getting politically contaminated, and she talks about that a lot.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: It seems she feels a bit uncomfortable about politicians coming there.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: She feels that even though her own father is in the National Assembly, it is somewhat problematic for politicians to come and repeatedly show efforts to realize this for political benefit and purposes.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Is that why you are not going either, Representative?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: My heart is always there. What member of the National Assembly could just fold their arms and watch when the public's suffrage has been damaged? However, as I mentioned earlier, if I go there, the current party atmosphere and public opinion are formed in a way that could easily lead to strange misunderstandings. I find this very regrettable and unpleasant.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: In any case, you are saying that Representative Jang continuing to go outdoors is not right in terms of timing, correct?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Rather than the timing—the timing is right. We should be doing outdoor struggles now.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Right, because he is going out without doing what needs to be done inside the party first.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Exactly. Solidarity and harmony within the party must come first. Then, weighing the pros and cons, some might say that if Representative Jang Dong-hyuk talks about this, calls for his resignation might flare up. However, struggling against the damage to the public's suffrage is something that must be spoken about even while bearing such risks.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: If they say they will hold this rally in Pohang, will you host it?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: I would have to go.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Since it is your constituency.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: If the local residents speak up and ask me to state my position as a member of the National Assembly and as their representative, I would do so.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: So, internal party integration and internal politics must come first. We should refine our message inside the party first before going outside, right?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Isn't that the proper order? To put it another way, it is like this: objectively speaking, the People Power Party is currently like a kite caught in a paulownia tree.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: What does that mean?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: It cannot fly away, nor can it be pulled down. It is stuck, unable to do either.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: A kite caught in a paulownia tree.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: So, if you keep pulling this kite, it will tear. It won't be able to go up. Then what should be done? Someone needs to climb the paulownia tree and untangle the kite from the branches. Only then can it fly up into the sky.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: I see the current situation, where we can do neither this nor that, as a kite caught in a paulownia tree.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Isn't that kite, caught in the paulownia tree and unable to do either, Representative Jang Dong-hyuk?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: If you put it so directly, as a member of the National Assembly from that party, I cannot comment on it that way, but strategically...
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Because the biggest issue within the party right now is Representative Jang's future, isn't it?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Yes. The issue of his future will certainly come up, but that should emerge through a process of discussion, analysis, and reflection on the local elections. However, because there was no such process and he went straight outdoors, doubts like "What is this?" are arising, and it seems to be a situation that could amplify into conflict.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: How do you view Representative Jang's future? Because I heard Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sig is currently gathering various opinions.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: I know the floor leader is doing his best from his position, but I believe a step-by-step integration is actually necessary.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Step-by-step integration.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: What is step-by-step integration? In a situation where such conflicts are amplified, I think it is difficult right now to create an atmosphere where those with conflicting interests say, "Let's unite," or "Let's join forces and reconcile again." To explain this step-by-step integration by comparison, senior members of the party must actively step forward. When those senior members step forward, a slogan that guarantees self-sacrifice must emerge. Through that, if we look at Phase 1, we must create an intersection for the struggle against the ruling party. We should at least form a pan-conservative integration roundtable.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: So, to prevent us from repeatedly gathering and dispersing, scattering like grains of sand when it comes to this struggle, we must first achieve step-by-step integration regarding the struggle against the ruling party. Then, moving on to Phase 2, we must make strategic choices ahead of the general election to induce pan-conservative integration. Finally, in Phase 3, we must move toward full-scale integration ahead of the presidential election.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Then the question is who will do this. To be honest, if we are to pursue this step-by-step integration—if we make this choice from a strategic standpoint—those who are interested parties cannot do it. In other words, it is difficult for Representative Jang Dong-hyuk, and it is difficult for Representative Han Dong-hoon. Therefore, senior lawmakers in the blind spots, or a third figure, must untangle these threads to promote a pan-conservative roundtable or pan-conservative integration.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Excluding the directly involved parties?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Exactly. Because the current atmosphere itself is being described as a fight between Jang and Han.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Jang and Han.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Yes. Even going out to the square could be misunderstood as taking Jang Dong-hyeon's side. That is why the kite is caught in the paulownia tree.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: So, should Representative Jang Dong-hyuk complete his term, or should he step down and let an emergency response committee take over?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: This is something our lawmakers discuss over drinks and meals, but doesn't it ultimately depend on his own will? If we tell him to leave or stay...
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Then he would be completing his term.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Of course, we could say something, but if we do, it will lead to conflict and confrontation due to resistance. That is why I believe that if Representative Jang Dong-hyuk is considering resignation, the party must provide him with a justification to do so.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: But Representative, if the issue of Representative Jang's future is brought up, voices could grow louder and clashes could occur, for example, at the general meeting of lawmakers. If senior lawmakers stay quiet out of fear of that, Representative Jang might just end up completing his term until August of next year while everyone is hesitating. Is that acceptable?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Overall, I don't think the situation is one that can be viewed so naively. First of all, it is clear that due to the current suffrage crisis, we are receiving criticism from the public asking, "What is the opposition party doing?" It is also true that we lack cohesion and are failing to respond properly.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: If this continues, we will ultimately have no choice but to hurt ourselves. Therefore, from the perspective of the representative leading the party, it cannot help but become quite difficult, and the pressure to make a sacrifice will inevitably act as a significant burden.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: So, I think that sooner or later, some faction will raise this issue, and a call for integration will emerge.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: When you say integration, who are you referring to integrating with whom?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: First of all, it seems you, our anchor, are indirectly asking about Representative Han Dong-hoon. The primary integration is pan-conservative integration. It is about how to gather the scattered and divided lines of struggle in the square into one place. If we can gather that line of struggle into one place, I believe the first button of Phase 1 integration will be buttoned. Through that integration, Representative Jang Dong-hyuk can also gain a justification regarding his decision to stay or leave.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Then, Representative Han Dong-hoon can also gain a justification regarding his decision to stay or leave. They cannot take this path on their own.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: I see. Hearing what you say, it seems there won't be any major movements within the party regarding Representative Jang Dong-hyuk's future anytime soon.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Right now, everyone is exercising a lot of restraint in what they say.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Out of fear of conflict?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Exactly. Because the reason we are being criticized is due to conflict and confrontation. Public opinion on this matter has been extremely harsh.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: If that is the case, it seems Representative Han Dong-hoon's reinstatement to the party will also take quite some time?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: If I were to understand Representative Han Dong-hoon tactically—speaking not as a People Power Party lawmaker but simply as a panelist—I think he is using a "fade-in" strategy.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: What strategy?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Fade-in.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Fade-in?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: He is using a fade-in strategy.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Gradually blending in?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Yes. I see it as the most appropriate and effective strategy. Although it may vary depending on the situation, attending forums hosted by People Power Party lawmakers, meeting them in the hallways, or shaking hands warmly when meeting in the office building—these are all part of a strategy to gradually blend in.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: This is because for the party members and lawmakers of the People Power Party, there is a burdensome river that exists between them and Representative Han Dong-hoon. This is regarding the impeachment.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: If, for example, he doesn't go with this fade-in approach and instead says, "I must be reinstated no matter what. If you don't do this, aren't you the bad guys? I am in the right," it will inevitably lead to another wave of resistance.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: If there is resistance, conflict will inevitably arise, and it will lead to confrontation between those factions again. Then, would reinstatement even be possible?
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: So, you are saying it is better to gradually blend in.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: I understand it as a fade-in right now.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: But even if it's not just a fade-in, but a fade-in multiplied by 100, it seems Representative Jang won't sign off on it if he is the party representative. Looking at his interview, perhaps yesterday, he seemed to say it's not necessary, not helpful, and absolutely out of the question.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: From Representative Jang Dong-hyuk's perspective, isn't it a point that directly touches upon significant political interests?
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Yes, for the two of them.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Yes. You know Benjamin Franklin, right?
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Of course I do.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: There is something called the Benjamin Franklin effect. He was a famous politician in the United States. Of course Benjamin Franklin had political opponents. He had immense political rivals, even worse than what we have now. But he had a way of neutralizing his rivals. He would ask for a favor or make a request to the person he considered his rival. You just have to reach out first.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: That is an old story from America, and it seems like it wouldn't be easy in our current reality in Korea.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: It is the same now. Politics, after all, is done by people. And although it involves an immense consumption of emotion, politics is ultimately driven by emotion.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: So, even with Representative Jang Dong-hyuk in office, Representative Han Dong-hoon's reinstatement is possible?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: I believe it is possible if a justification is provided.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Really?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Yes. If a justification is provided. After all, isn't that understanding about political interests and goals? The benefit of the goal.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: I see.
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: Is it over already?
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: Should we do more?
▶ Lee Sang-hwi: I have a lot more to say.
▷ Kim Tae-hyun: We will end today's interview here. That was Representative Lee Sang-hwi of the People Power Party. Thank you.
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