People Power Party still stuck in the ‘river of martial law’ one year on

The People Power Party must confront its shrinking base and acknowledge its role in the Dec. 3 crisis. Without a sincere apology and a clear break from the past, the party may find itself unable to appeal to moderates in next year’s local elections.

People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok speaks at a protest held outside the National Assembly’s main chamber on Nov. 27 to oppose the arrest motion for Rep. Choo Kyung-ho. The motion was later approved in a plenary vote. [YONHAP]

A year after the Dec. 3 martial law declaration, the fallout continues to reshape Korean politics. On Thursday, the National Assembly approved an arrest motion for Choo Kyung-ho, the People Power Party’s floor leader at the time, who faces charges of obstructing the legislature’s vote to lift martial law. He is expected to undergo a warrant hearing early next month. A day earlier, prosecutors asked for 15 years in prison for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is accused of aiding the alleged ringleaders of the incident. Han, who has long claimed he tried to dissuade former president Yoon Suk Yeol from declaring martial law, recently admitted he had lied under oath before the Constitutional Court.

Despite the succession of legal setbacks for figures once at the center of the Yoon administration and the People Power Party, the party remains mired in an unproductive debate over whether to apologize for the crisis. Rep. Kim Jae-sub argued that the leadership must offer a message of reflection, while Rep. Kim Yong-tae said the party should deliver a formal apology. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon added, “What does it matter if we apologize five times or a hundred? We must keep apologizing until the public hears sincerity.”

Others pushed back. Supreme Council member Kim Min-su questioned whether a conservative party should “keep lowering its tail,” and fellow council member Kim Jae-won said now was not the time to apologize. That stance ignores the growing list of allegations surrounding Han, Choo, former president Yoon and former first lady Kim Keon Hee, which continue to surface through special counsel probes and trial proceedings. Even as the illegality of the martial law declaration and the ethical lapses of the previous administration come into sharper focus, the party appears indifferent to the gravity of the situation.

Public disappointment toward the main opposition party is evident in recent polling. In the latest National Barometer Survey released on Nov. 27, the People Power Party polled at 22 percent, far behind the Democratic Party’s 39 percent. A Gallup Korea poll on Nov. 21 also showed a shift among moderates: 44 percent said the ruling party should win more seats in next year’s local elections, up six points from a month earlier. Support for People Power Party candidates among moderates fell from 36 percent to 30 percent.

Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok bears much responsibility for the slide. Rather than guiding the party across what he calls the “river of martial law,” he has delivered inconsistent messages, including the baffling declaration, “We are Hwang Kyo-ahn.” The People Power Party must confront its shrinking base and acknowledge its role in the Dec. 3 crisis. Without a sincere apology and a clear break from the past, the party may find itself unable to appeal to moderates in next year’s local elections.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.