A dispute is continuing within the opposition over whether Jang Dong-hyeok of the People Power Party should be held responsible. Those calling for Jang to step down criticize him for fueling allegations of election fraud by mentioning a "rerun election," while opponents say unity should take precedence over internal conflict.
Kim Yong-tae, a People Power Party lawmaker, sharply criticized Jang's leadership on Facebook on the 14th. Aiming at Jang, Kim said, "What will you do about the public who condemn corruption at the National Election Commission but do not agree to a rerun election?" and added, "If a full rerun election is held in disregard of the Constitution and the law, debates and lawsuits over infringements of suffrage will break out nationwide."
He then said Jang must "state whether you believe there was election fraud through the National Election Commission in the 22nd general election on the 10th, the 2022 by-election, and the 21st general election," adding, "If not, Jang has been exploiting conservatives who harbor suspicions of election fraud, and is now exploiting people in their 20s and 30s angered by the commission's corruption."
Kim added, "It is time to end the leadership of a party leader who strengthens a political foothold and clings to party control by exploiting far-right YouTubers' fabricated election-fraud conspiracy theories, while in reality solving no problems at all."
By contrast, the People Power Party leadership says unity should come before internal strife. Chung Hee-yong, the People Power Party's secretary-general, posted on Facebook that "now is the time to check the runaway behavior of the massive ruling party and to play the proper role of an opposition party," calling for unity.
Chung, the secretary-general, said, "This is the time to focus the party's capacity on the pressing tasks at hand, such as the economic situation threatening people's livelihoods, the Democratic Party's arrogant call for a special counsel to dismiss the indictment, and the Democratic Party's looming unilateral attempt to organize National Assembly standing committees."
Chung went on, "Amplifying internal conflict that begins with shaking the party leader will push aside the opposition's original role of pursuing reform tasks and checking the administration that the public is actually demanding." He added, "Through the election, there was an evaluation by the public, the People Power Party's approval rating is rebounding, and since late Aug. 25 in recent years, after Jang took office, we are seeing the highest approval rating," and criticized, "Even so, there are again calls for what seems like a predetermined 'party leader resignation.'"