Petition Demanding Resignation of People Power Party Leader Jang Dong-hyeok... Leadership Questions Party Members' Intentions

[Anchor]

Calls for the resignation of People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok are intensifying again within the party. Some party members have stepped forward to deliver a petition urging the collective resignation of the leadership, bearing the signatures of some 20,000 members, to senior lawmakers. In response, the party leadership drew a line, dismissing the move as a one-sided claim of unverified authenticity.

Here is a report by reporter Park Chan-beom.

[Reporter]

This is a joint petition calling for the resignation of the People Power Party leadership led by Jang Dong-hyeok.

Some party members demanding party reform launched a petition drive starting last June, and posts urging participation were also uploaded to online gatherings supporting independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon.

They claim to have gathered signatures from some 22,000 party members and citizens so far. They announced that they sent emails today (August 5) to 33 senior lawmakers serving three or more terms belonging to the People Power Party, asking whether they would accept the petition.

Lawmakers serving three terms are scheduled to gather on August 17, and those serving four or more terms are set to meet sometime this month to discuss the issue of Jang Dong-hyeok's resignation.

[Cho Kyeong-tae / People Power Party Lawmaker]: "It is a historical irony in itself that a person who advocates for election fraud and defends the ringleader of an insurrection is acting as the party leader of the main opposition party."

The party leadership maintains its stance that "it has not been verified how many of the signatories are genuine responsible party members," calling it "a one-sided claim of unverified authenticity."

Leader Jang also noted that the number of responsible party members exceeds one million, adding that this is likely not the sentiment of the entire membership.

[Jang Dong-hyeok / People Power Party Leader]: "Whether this is based on the voluntary will of the party members, or part of another strategy to shake the leadership as has always been the case..."

Refusing to step down and marking his first year in office this month, Leader Jang appears to be seeking ways to strengthen his grip on party power. Speculation is rising that he might widely replace local party chapter chairpersons with figures close to the pro-leadership faction, citing reasons such as sluggish anti-government struggle activities.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
(Video Reported by Lee Seung-hwan and Shin Dong-hwan | Video Edited by Oh Young-taek | Design by Cho Su-in)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.