Within the People Power Party, dissatisfaction is mounting over the "Jang Dong-hyeok leadership." This comes as Jang's remarks hinting at an alliance with former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon, and Our Republican Party leader Cho Won-jin coincide with a drop in the party's approval rating. Some in the party are even saying, "We should consider a new leadership."
According to political circles on the 19th, People Power Party lawmakers have recently raised critical voices over the downward trend in approval ratings and Jang's moves. They argue the party failed to seize opportunities from setbacks for the government and the ruling party, such as the Daejang-dong appeal withdrawal case, the Oct. 15 real estate measures, and the Constitution-Respecting Government Innovation Task Force (TF).
A first-term lawmaker from the People Power Party told ChosunBiz, "We failed to get ahead of even one issue, like Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Choi Min-hee's child's wedding or the government's real estate measures." The lawmaker added, "When prosecutors gave up appealing the Daejang-dong trial, all lawmakers gathered for a general meeting the very next Monday (on the 10th), but didn't the party leader go to the SK hynix plant in North Chungcheong? Senior lawmakers also voiced criticism on this point."
In fact, the People Power Party's approval rating is falling without gaining any rebound from the government and ruling party's troubles. In a poll conducted by Gallup Korea of 1,003 people aged 18 or older nationwide on the 11th to the 13th, the People Power Party's support stood at 24%, down 2 percentage points (p) from the previous survey. In a survey by Realmeter of 1,006 people aged 18 or older nationwide on the 13th to the 14th, the People Power Party's approval rating was 34.2%, only. That is down 0.6 percentage points from the previous survey. For details, refer to the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.
Inside the People Power Party, members cited Jang's "shift to the right" as the cause of the declining approval rating. On the 17th of last month, Jang visited former President Yoon Suk-yeol at the Seoul Detention Center. At a rally on the 12th condemning the withdrawal of the Daejang-dong appeal, Jang also said, "We are Hwang Kyo-ahn. Let's unite and fight." In addition, on a YouTube channel on the 16th, when asked, "Can you form an alliance in the local elections with Our Republican Party (Cho Won-jin), Liberty Unification Party (Jeon Kwang-hoon), and Freedom and Innovation (Hwang Kyo-ahn)?," Jang said, "All conservatives must come together."
A lawmaker from the Seoul metropolitan area said, "I cannot agree with the very idea that we should ally with people like Hwang Kyo-ahn, Jeon Kwang-hoon, and Cho Won-jin, and doesn't that mean we won't consider the moderate bloc at all?" The lawmaker added, "They say it's a strategic remark, but I have no idea what strategy that is." Another lawmaker said, "If there is no intent to sever ties with the past, we should also consider a new leadership."
People Power Party lawmaker Park Jeong-ha appeared on MBC Radio the day before and said, "I am concerned about the leadership moving to the right," adding, "If we keep moving away from public sentiment at the center and in a direction where we cannot appeal, to put it very bluntly, (the People Power Party) will get 49% of the vote and keep losing to the opposing party's candidate who gets 51%."