Twenty-five people, including incumbent out-of-Assembly district party committee chairs of the People Power Party, called on leader Jang Dong-hyeok to resign, saying, "Stop pushing the party further into the swamp of loss of public support and step down," even after former President Yoon Suk-yeol was sentenced to life in prison at his first trial and Jang refused to "cut ties with Yoon."
In a statement on the 21st, they urged this, saying, "Only that is the sole path by which our conservatives can truly return to the side of the people."
The statement raised its voice, saying, "We can never agree with the anti-constitutional view that disparages the court's ruling on the Dec. 3 martial law by talking about so-called traces of conscience," and, "A leadership that labels critical forces as those to be 'severed' and pits party members against each other is nothing but self-harming isolation that locks the People Power Party within a closed fortress."
It added, "Immediately stop the hypocrisy of deceiving the public and party members by packaging autocratic politics that go against public sentiment as unity."
Signing this statement were district party committee chairs including former Supreme Council member Kim Jong-hyuk and former deputy director for organization Ham Kyung-woo, who were expelled from the People Power Party, as well as Kim Kyung-jin (Seoul Dongdaemun B), Kim Geun-sik (Seoul Songpa C), Oh Shin-hwan (Seoul Gwangjin B), Lee Jae-young (Seoul Gangdong B), Jang Jin-young (Seoul Dongjak A), Choi Don-ik (Anyang Manan), and Ham Un-kyung (Seoul Mapo B).
The previous day, leader Jang held a press briefing to directly refute the first-trial ruling against former President Yoon Suk-yeol that the Dec. 3 martial law constituted insurrection, and he rejected calls to sever ties with the former president. In response, the pro-Han (pro Han Dong-hoon) faction demanded the collective resignation of the party leadership, including Jang.