At a session the People Power Party leadership organized to criticize six months of the Lee Jae-myung administration, lawmaker Yoon Han-hong instead directly attacked the party leadership. Yoon, often called an original pro-Yoon (pro–Yoon Suk-yeol) figure, raised his voice, saying, "Even if we are called traitors, we must apologize for the martial law and sever ties with former President Yoon."
The People Power Party leadership held a meeting to evaluate six months of the Lee Jae-myung administration at the National Assembly on the morning of the 5th. It was a meeting attended by party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, floor leader Song Eon-seog, and all committee chairs and secretaries from the party. The People Power Party defined the six months of the Lee Jae-myung administration as "honyongmudo (a foolish and incompetent ruler throws the world into chaos and lacks principle)" and planned to go on the offensive.
The mood was as expected up through the remarks by party leader Jang Dong-hyeok and floor leader Song Eon-seog. Jang said, "If we sum up six months of the Lee Jae-myung administration in one phrase, it is looting and destruction," adding, "Let's unite and fight to protect the Constitution and the rule of law." Song also said, "Wrinkles in the ordinary people's economy are deepening, and the nation's basic systems and order are being destroyed," adding, "Let's walk the path of an alternative party that defends the country's future from a government of lies."
The mood shifted when it was the turn of lawmaker Yoon Han-hong, who chairs the National Policy Committee of the National Assembly. Yoon said, "We must stop saying that paralysis of state affairs was the cause of martial law. Martial law cannot be justified by such logic," adding, "Let's cast off ties with former President Yoon Suk-yeol and the finger-pointing of the hard-core base, and free ourselves from the yoke of martial law."
He directly rebutted party leader Jang Dong-hyeok's recent remark that the Dec. 3 emergency martial law was due to the Democratic Party of Korea's parliamentary rampage. The weight of the comment was different because it came from a senior party lawmaker who had been close enough to former President Yoon to be called an original pro-Yoon figure.
Yoon said, "Our party's approval rating has not budged from the cutoff level. Why do you think that is?" adding, "It looks like a dog with filth on it criticizing a dog with chaff on it, so no matter how much we criticize the Lee Jae-myung government, we fail to reach the public's hearts. Every remedy is useless."
He raised his voice, saying, "Don't we have to win the local elections to save the Republic of Korea? Aren't you sick and tired of the insurrection frame?" and "If we keep going like this, if we lose the local elections, the insurrection label will stick for five full years."
Yoon said, "In effect, the Democratic Party and the Lee Jae-myung government would most hate for us to apologize for martial law and sever ties with President Yoon," adding, "That is the only way the public will give us their hearts, and the Lee Jae-myung government will not be able to run amok in state affairs with peace of mind."
He went on, "Candidate Yoon Suk-yeol was someone scouted from outside at the time to block an extension of the hypocritical Moon Jae-in administration," adding, "At the time there was no strong link with us, and our party never discussed martial law in advance. If we cast off martial law, the insurrection frame will no longer work."
After finishing his remarks and listening to a few lawmakers speak, Yoon left the conference room first.