With a little over 50 days left until the June 3 local elections, criticism is growing within the party as People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, who traveled to the United States, has failed to deliver clear results even on the last day of his trip.
Jang began a five-night, seven-day visit to the United States on the 11th. Jang's side said he was invited by the International Republican Institute (IRI), led by figures from the U.S. Republican Party. The schedule, initially planned as two nights and four days, was extended as the departure time was moved up.
Jang began his public schedule on the 14th (local time) by paying respects at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. That day, he also met in succession with Korean American Rep. Young Kim and Rep. Joe Wilson, who is active in the pro-Korea group in the U.S. Congress, the "Korea Caucus," and then held a roundtable with local Korean residents. The next day, Jang attended a closed-door IRI roundtable. That afternoon, he also visited the White House and the State Department.
However, there are no standout, tangible results. During his trip, Jang sought meetings with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but they did not materialize. He also attempted to meet Paula White, a close confidante and "spiritual mentor" to President Donald Trump, but that, too, fell through.
At a correspondents' roundtable held in Washington, D.C., on the 16th, Jang explained the background of the trip, saying, "Although this is an important time ahead of the local elections, looking at the Republic of Korea as a whole, this is also a very important time in terms of security and relations with the United States," and, "Given the impact that the Middle East war and subsequent changes in the international situation could have on the Korean economy and security, it was necessary to communicate closely with the U.S. side."
He added, "There were some results from the visit to the State Department," but avoided disclosure of specific interlocutors or discussion topics, saying, "It is difficult to share due to security." Although he said he met with officials from the White House National Security Council (NSC), the State Department, and the U.S. Congress, he could not explain specifically what progress had been made on diplomatic and security issues.
Within the party, criticism of Jang's trip to the United States is intensifying. In particular, a photo of Jang smiling in front of the U.S. Capitol with Supreme Council member Kim Min-soo spread on social media, prompting grumbling such as, "Did he go there to shoot a photo spread?" Questions are growing inside and outside the party about why he insisted on flying to the United States while Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae is touring the country and throwing himself into campaign efforts ahead of the local elections.
Rep. Joo Ho-young appeared on SBS radio the previous day and criticized, "Some even say it's like a chief mourner abandoning the mourning house to go to a singing room," adding, "Laughing and joking over there at such a grave time is not proper conduct."
Rep. Bae Hyun-jin also said on CBS radio, "What must be the top priority now is to decide candidates quickly so that those who must campaign in a difficult election environment do not waste even a single day," adding, "Abandoning that to go to the United States makes me wonder whether, given how tough this election has already become, the trip was to rally the base for the next political move instead."
Former Supreme Council member Kim Jong-hyuk wrote on Facebook, "I was shocked after watching Jang's press conference on the results of his U.S. trip. How could it be so empty?" adding, "He strung along the domestic media with hope that he could meet Trump through Paula White, Trump's mentor. But they say Paula White was out in the region so they couldn't see her. Was that media play without prior coordination?"
Jang said he would arrange an opportunity to explain the internal party criticism after he returns home. "Views may differ on the party's situation and the role of the party leader," he said. "I will make time, whether individually or together, to talk about what happened in the United States and what results there were."