Marking one year since the Dec. 3 martial law incident, 25 lawmakers from the People Power Party held a press conference at the National Assembly on the 3rd, saying they apologize to the public and declaring they will sever political ties with the forces that led the emergency martial law, including former President Yoon Suk-yeol. In contrast, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok wrote on Facebook the same day that the Dec. 3 emergency martial law was imposed to counter a tyranny of the legislature, defending the martial law. On the first anniversary of the martial law, confusion within the People Power Party appears to be deepening.
Younger lawmakers centered on first- and second-term members of the People Power Party held a press conference at the National Assembly communication hall in the morning and offered an apology over the Dec. 3 martial law. A joint statement read by lawmakers Lee Seong-gwon and Kim Yong-tae bore the signatures of 25 People Power Party lawmakers. In Korean alphabetical order: Ko Dong-jin, Kwon Young-jin, Kim Geon, Kim Seong-won, Kim So-hee, Kim Yong-tae, Kim Jae-seop, Kim Hyeong-dong, Park Jeong-ha, Park Jeong-hun, Bae Jun-young, Seo Beom-soo, Song Seok-jun, Shin Seong-beom, Ahn Sang-hoon, Ahn Cheol-soo, Eom Tae-yeong, Woo Jae-jun, Yu Yong-weon, Lee Sang-hwi, Lee Seong-gwon, Jeong Yeon-uk, Cho Eun-hee, Jin Jong-oh, and Choi Hyeong-du.
They said the Dec. 3 emergency martial law was an unconstitutional, undemocratic act that denied and trampled on the Republic of Korea's liberal democracy, achieved with our people's blood and sweat, adding that as a result, the nation's dignity fell and our people had to endure great pain and confusion. They said they fully feel responsible as ruling party lawmakers at the time and bow their heads in sincere apology to the public.
The younger lawmakers said they respect the Constitutional Court's decision finding the Dec. 3 emergency martial law unconstitutional and illegal, and they made clear they will sever political ties with the forces that led the emergency martial law, including former President Yoon Suk-yeol, adding they will achieve party reform tantamount to refounding.
People Power Party floor leader Song Eon-seog also separately told reporters that all People Power Party lawmakers fully feel heavy responsibility for failing to stop the martial law and that they sincerely apologize to the people.
Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok struck a different note. In a Facebook post that day, Jang said the Dec. 3 emergency martial law was imposed to counter a tyranny of the legislature, adding that the impeachment that followed the martial law produced a string of tragedies in Korean politics and brought disappointment and confusion to the public and party members.
Jang said the People Power Party also is not free from responsibility for failing to unite and fight as one, and he said that as party leader of the People Power Party, he fully feels responsible. It was not an apology for the Dec. 3 martial law, but an apology for the conservative camp's failure to unite after the martial law. There was no message about severing ties with former President Yoon Suk-yeol or with those who defend martial law.
Jang added that a team without a cleanup hitter cannot win a championship just by widening the field, and said he would become the cleanup hitter of conservative politics, equipped with identity, conviction, and patriotism. With next year's local elections ahead, he shut the door on alliances or expansion with centrist forces.
Criticism came quickly from the opposition camp. People Power Party lawmaker Kim Jae-seop said that even after the declaration of emergency martial law, the People Power Party did not sever ties with Yoon Suk-yeol and repeatedly regressed, and said party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, far from reflection or introspection, declared another "enlightenment order" suggesting martial law was inevitable. It is deeply disappointing, he said. Kim added that conservative rebuilding and an enlightenment order can never go together, and said if the party cannot sever ties with Yoon Suk-yeol, who turned our party into a ruin, there is neither qualification for the leader nor a future for the People Power Party.
Former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon also volunteered for a press conference at the side gate of the National Assembly Library that day and issued a formal apology for failing to stop the martial law. He then flatly called party leader Jang's message—that the martial law was to counter a tyranny of the legislature—irrational. Han said he is convinced that many politicians affiliated with the People Power Party and sensible citizens who support the People Power Party feel apologetic, and stressed they should keep apologizing until the public says that is enough.