Cho Gap-je: 'I Will Create a 2028 PPP Nomination Exclusion List... No. 1 Is Jang Dong-hyeok'

- PPP Representative Jang Dong-hyeok's absence from the Constitution Day ceremony is grounds for disciplinary action
- Jang Dong-hyeok did not attend the 61st anniversary of Syngman Rhee's death on July 19
- Instead of persuading people not to believe in rigged elections, he attended the rally
- Must distinguish between poorly managed elections and rigged elections... A matter of literacy
- Supporting Jang Dong-hyeok's Olympic Park politics? Ahn Cheol-soo has changed too much
- Jeong Jeom-sig's stance means doing nothing about Jang Dong-hyeok's future
- Creating a <2028 Nomination Exclusion List> from the outside would be effective
- Around 70 to 80 people, including rigged election theorists and martial law sympathizers, will be listed
- I also intend to make a nomination exclusion list... No. 1 is Jang Dong-hyeok

■ Broadcast: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show (FM 103.5MHz 7:00 – 9:00)
■ Date: July 20, 2026 (Monday)
■ Host: Attorney Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Cho Gap-je, Representative of ChoGapje.com

[Kim Tae-hyun] We diagnose the political sphere through conservative eyes. Joining us is Cho Gap-je, representative of ChoGapje.com. Hello.

[Cho Gap-je] Hello.

[Kim Tae-hyun] The World Cup, which was frustrating for us but pleasing to our eyes, ended just 40 minutes ago. Is my expression correct? It was frustrating, but our eyes were still pleased. There are evaluations that although South Korea failed this year, it was the most entertaining World Cup in history. This is because we had Lionel Messi's "last dance," and the star players performed so well. But anyway, the final is over. Everyone, Messi's last dance was a failure. Representative Cho, isn't that right?

[Cho Gap-je] After all, football is a team sport. Isn't that right?

[Kim Tae-hyun] That's right.

[Cho Gap-je] No matter how great Messi is, Spain's teamwork was just too good. But one thing I'm worried about is whether they might haul Messi into a hearing when he returns to Argentina.

[Kim Tae-hyun] The president? Messi criticized the economic difficulties recently, didn't he?

[Cho Gap-je] Not because of that, but because he didn't score a goal or make an assist.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Oh, today?

[Cho Gap-je] Just like we put manager Hong Myung-bo through a hearing, I really hope they don't do things like that.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Argentina just missed one right before the end. I was hoping that would go in, leading to a penalty shootout and an Argentina victory. In any case, football is not an individual sport but a team sport. No matter how great a player Messi is, they couldn't beat the Spanish team.

[Cho Gap-je] Yes.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Then what about politics? How is the People Power Party? Representative Cho, what kind of team do you think this PPP team is? Because Representative Jang Dong-hyeok did not attend the Constitution Day ceremony but instead visited the protest site at Olympic Park. It seems Representative Ahn Cheol-soo did the same. Even if we excuse individual lawmakers, it's not common for the leader of a conservative party—the main opposition party—to skip the Constitution Day ceremony, is it?

[Cho Gap-je] I believe this is grounds for disciplinary action.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Disciplinary action?

[Cho Gap-je] Because wasn't this Constitution Day the first time in 18 years that it became a public holiday? And Constitution Day has become the only national holiday symbolizing the founding of the Republic of Korea. Originally, August 15 should be commemorated as the anniversary of the establishment of the government of the Republic of Korea, but somehow it has become only Liberation Day, celebrated only as the day of liberation. The day the Constitution was created is, in fact, the day the country was founded. And now it has even become a public holiday.

[Kim Tae-hyun] It has indeed been revived after a very long time.

[Cho Gap-je] So, he should have attended the meaningful Constitution Day ceremony. Why did he go to Olympic Park, which is led by people who deny the Constitution and facts? Then what happens to his constitutional spirit? Moreover, do you know what day yesterday was? Yesterday was, so to speak, the 61st anniversary of the death of Syngman Rhee, the father of conservatives and the founding president. He passed away in 1965.

[Kim Tae-hyun] In Hawaii.

[Cho Gap-je] The event was held at the National Cemetery, but it seems Representative Jang Dong-hyeok did not go. How can this be? Yet, the Minister of Health and Welfare attended, and the government provided significant support.

[Kim Tae-hyun] But Representative Jang attended the rally wearing a Syngman Rhee necklace, didn't he?

[Cho Gap-je] Isn't President Syngman Rhee the person whom South Korean conservatives should truly revere? But he ignored that, and he ignored the Constitution as well. The problem is that what they are clamoring for there is a rigged election and a re-election. Aren't rigged elections and re-elections just instigation? Demanding a nationwide re-election means nullifying the election, and the person who is in a position to control this protest went there, jumped on the bandwagon, abandoned the National Assembly, and abandoned floor activities. That's why I keep saying that the position of party leader is currently unnecessary—in a way, if compared to the human body, it functions like the appendix.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Really? Meaning it's fine without it.

[Cho Gap-je] Exactly. Both the ruling and opposition parties are so noisy because of their party leaders. It's fine to be noisy, but they should be noisy over something important.

[Kim Tae-hyun] I see. But there is also a lot of criticism in the media regarding Representative Jang's actions. In response, Representative Jang said that coming out to Olympic Park and being with angry citizens is "expanding to the political center." What on earth does the "expansion to the center" that Representative Jang speaks of mean?

[Cho Gap-je] This person has completely lost his judgment. In particular, his literacy has been ruined.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Literacy?

[Cho Gap-je] He cannot distinguish between a poorly managed election and a rigged election.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Those two are strictly different.

[Cho Gap-je] And he calls Han Dong-hoon, an innocent citizen, a criminal. I believe this constitutes defamation. This is not an expression of opinion, but an assertion of fact. So I looked it up, and Article 13, Paragraph 3 of our Constitution states that no citizen shall suffer unfavorable treatment due to the acts of their relatives.

[Kim Tae-hyun] The prohibition of guilt by association.

[Cho Gap-je] Exactly. He is framing someone as a criminal over bulletin board posts they didn't even write. This is a matter of literacy. So when he talks about expanding to the center, it seems he doesn't even know what "center" means. He doesn't know what the center means, cannot distinguish between poor management and rigging, and because he hasn't studied the Constitution, he doesn't even know that the presumption of innocence is clearly stated in Article 47, Paragraph 4 of the Constitution.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Understood. As I mentioned briefly earlier, Representative Ahn Cheol-soo also visited the rally. Representative Ahn posted a photo on Facebook of himself holding a T-shirt with a young person there, writing: "Is it wrong to visit a place where young people and citizens are crying out for the defense of the Constitution and the value of suffrage on Constitution Day?" and at the end, "Do not fear Olgong. It is a place where ordinary citizens are, not monsters." Representative Ahn's remarks somehow seem like an answer to your criticism. How would you respond to this?

[Cho Gap-je] But this person has changed too much. Especially when targeting Representative Han Dong-hoon, the expression "do not hang around" is a term that should absolutely never be used.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Why is that?

[Cho Gap-je] Moreover, aren't they colleagues? Right?

[Kim Tae-hyun] Yes.

[Cho Gap-je] Telling a colleague not to hang around... If someone told you, Attorney Kim, as a friend, not to hang around, wouldn't you want to throw a punch?

[Kim Tae-hyun] It would feel bad, of course.

[Cho Gap-je] Telling someone not to hang around is, simply put, treating them like a beggar. Using such terminology is also a matter of literacy. The reason I emphasize literacy is that with the abandonment of Chinese characters and the exclusive use of Hangul, the level of speech among Koreans, especially politicians, has dropped significantly. Representative examples are Jang Dong-hyeok and Ahn Cheol-soo. I cannot understand why Representative Ahn Cheol-soo has changed so much recently.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Why do you think he is doing that?

[Cho Gap-je] I don't know why he has changed so much.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Some speculate that he is aiming for the next national convention, aiming for the "post-Jang Dong-hyeok" position. What is your evaluation of Representative Ahn Cheol-soo as a potential "post-Jang Dong-hyeok"? You are saying that his recent actions are too different from his actions after December 3, when martial law was declared, right?

[Cho Gap-je] Currently, Representative Jang Dong-hyeok's political lifespan is one year at most. And Representative Han Dong-hoon's is at least several decades. So, becoming the party leader with the help of a setting sun like Jang Dong-hyeok? Not only is it impossible to achieve, but even if he does, what could he possibly do afterward?

[Kim Tae-hyun] Do you think there is some kind of connection with Representative Jang Dong-hyeok now? Because until now, their positions were completely different regarding martial law or impeachment. But with his recent attacks on former Representative Han Dong-hoon and his presence at Olympic Park, their moves seem somewhat similar.

[Cho Gap-je] He seems to be in a rush for some reason.

[Kim Tae-hyun] In a rush?

[Cho Gap-je] However, that direction clearly shows some kind of emotion toward Representative Han Dong-hoon, but the way he expresses it is the problem. It should be expressed in accordance with the Constitution, facts, and common sense, but because he didn't do that, he faced a counterattack. Both his testimony in court and that emotional remark telling him "not to hang around" might not make them eternal enemies, but it certainly creates a strained relationship with Representative Han Dong-hoon.

[Kim Tae-hyun] I see. Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sig recently said, "Representative Jang Dong-hyeok's future is a matter for him to decide on his own". There has been a lot of talk that Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sig holds the key to deciding Representative Jang Dong-hyeok's fate, as he has been meeting with lawmakers by their terms to gather opinions. But after meeting with senior lawmakers, he said opinions do not converge, and that the future is a matter for Jang to decide on his own. This sounds to me like, "I'm not going to do anything about it".

[Cho Gap-je] It means he will do nothing. And he reversed his own words from two weeks ago. Saying "he will decide on his own" means doing nothing, and saying "the party members will decide" is incorrect. So, to me, this sounds like nothing other than asking external forces to intervene and decide.

[Kim Tae-hyun] External forces? Who?

[Cho Gap-je] Shouldn't the conservative base intervene?

[Kim Tae-hyun] The general conservative base, not just PPP members?

[Cho Gap-je] Yes. The general conservative base needs to rise up. The current situation in the People Power Party is a much more serious challenge to democracy than the ballot shortage incident. The party leader, based on the lie of a rigged election, is demanding a nationwide re-election and joining hands with protesters. Is this lawful? Is this acceptable? While making remarks that nullify the suffrage of 27 million people, he calls it "defending suffrage". Everything this person says must be interpreted in reverse. Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sig put the brakes on this through a general meeting of lawmakers, saying a nationwide re-election is unacceptable. But even with the brakes applied, they aren't working, and he continues to speed toward a collision. In this situation, are PPP members just going to watch? Are PPP lawmakers just going to stand by? To hold him politically accountable, the active conservative forces outside must rise up and apply pressure. I think that has been somewhat lacking. Pressure from the outside. There is one best way.

[Kim Tae-hyun] What is it?

[Cho Gap-je] Creating a list of candidates to be excluded from nominations in 2028.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Who would make it?

[Cho Gap-je] An external organization.

[Kim Tae-hyun] A general civic group?

[Cho Gap-je] Either a civic group makes it...

[Kim Tae-hyun] Do you intend to make one yourself?

[Cho Gap-je] Well, I have a mind to do so.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Really?

[Cho Gap-je] Yes. I'll try making one. First, we need to set the criteria.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Can't you do that next week?

[Cho Gap-je] The first criterion is those who do not criticize rigged election conspiracy theories.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Isn't that too broad?

[Cho Gap-je] Rigged election conspiracy theories destroy South Korea's liberal democracy, don't they? If someone kept their mouth shut even when seeing that clearly, that person should at least not be a member of the National Assembly.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Yes.

[Cho Gap-je] Next, those who claim martial law is "enlightenment law". And so on, and we will probably end up with about 70 to 80 people, wouldn't we?

[Kim Tae-hyun] Who is number one on your version of the hit list? I assume you always have someone in mind. Since this is an expression of opinion, it won't constitute defamation or insult.

[Cho Gap-je] That is carved in stone as Jang Dong-hyeok.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Really? Carved in stone? What about the second and third?

[Cho Gap-je] I will gather the data and release that later.

[Kim Tae-hyun] If you gather the data and make it, let's do it together here. Understood. Recently, in another interview, you advised that if Representative Han Dong-hoon is not allowed to rejoin the party, it would be better for him to found a new party based in Busan.

[Cho Gap-je] Based in Busan and Seoul.

[Kim Tae-hyun] You advised that founding a new party based in Busan and Seoul would be better if rejoining is not allowed. Looking at interviews that came out afterward, pro-Han lawmakers all stated they have never discussed founding a new party. Do you still hold that view?

[Cho Gap-je] As a Plan B. What I spoke of is Plan B. If Jang Dong-hyeok does not step down and does not allow him to rejoin, there must be a Plan B, right?

[Kim Tae-hyun] That's right.

[Cho Gap-je] It means that founding a new party must exist as a Plan B. Although it is a principled statement, I think there is a very high possibility they will head in that direction someday.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Do you think they will absolutely never let him rejoin?

[Cho Gap-je] Then it means creating a new party. What we honestly need to judge is, is the People Power Party currently a party that can be reformed and reused? Can it be reformed? We shouldn't make it look like he is begging to rejoin. Representative Han Dong-hoon currently expects that by lowering Representative Jang Dong-hyeok's status in a very cynical and contemptuous manner, things will naturally resolve, but it won't work out that way. Because the core of Jang Dong-hyeok's supporters is the rigged election conspiracy theory faction. These people are not bound by public opinion, nor are they bound by facts or the Constitution.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Yes.

[Cho Gap-je] When that doesn't work, there is Representative Han Dong-hoon's ability, which was proven by the historic victory in the recent local elections. I have expressed that his ability is close to the level of the "Three Kims". The ability of the Three Kims was that they were people who could break a party and build a party. Only those three in the past several decades of modern Korean history possessed abilities close to that. He has public mobilization power, significant support from conservative intellectuals—especially those who act as fans—and then he has logic and other qualities, and he also has a merchant temperament. I think his characteristic is that he is someone who introduces market logic into elections or politics. Market logic, a merchant temperament. If you combine all of that, I believe he is fully capable of creating a party that can at least form a floor negotiation group.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Understood. Representative Cho, briefly on this. They say Representative Jang is going to announce a reform plan. What do you expect will be number one on it? Not in terms of what should be there, but realistically.

[Cho Gap-je] It's impossible to predict his actions, isn't it?

[Kim Tae-hyun] Really?

[Cho Gap-je] And if there must be a reform plan, voluntary resignation is the greatest reform plan.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Really?

[Cho Gap-je] Voluntary resignation.

[Kim Tae-hyun] Understood. We will stop here. That was Cho Gap-je, representative of ChoGapje.com. Thank you.

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※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.