Twenty-five current and former district committee chairs of the People Power Party (PPP) called on Party Leader Jang Dong-hyuk to "resign immediately," criticizing his refusal to distance himself from former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The 25 chairs issued a statement on May 21 declaring, "Chairman Jang must stop further regression for the party's future and make an immediate decision."
The group sharply criticized Jang's response to the court's first-instance verdict against former President Yoon, stating they "cannot agree with the unconstitutional view that disparages the intent of the ruling by invoking talk of 'traces of conscience.'"
At a press conference on May 20, the day after the verdict, Jang argued, "The People Power Party has consistently maintained that 'martial law does not automatically constitute insurrection,' but the first-instance ruling failed to provide sufficient grounds or explanation to overturn this position." Political observers interpreted this as Jang's opposition to calls within the party to sever ties with Yoon.
The district chairs argued, "Insisting on such irrational claims even in the face of a severe sentence of life imprisonment is an act of self-denial of the identity of a conservative party based on the rule of law."
They further criticized, "A leadership that divides party members by labeling critics as 'those to be cut off' is self-destructive isolation that confines the People Power Party within closed walls. Stop the hypocrisy of deceiving the public and party members by disguising authoritarian politics against public sentiment as unity."
They particularly pointed out the contradictory stance of the party leadership, stating, "While criticizing the Democratic Party of Korea for destroying the rule of law, they themselves deny the judiciary's judgment. This double standard is the very epitome of hypocrisy we should guard against."
The chairs repeatedly urged, "If Chairman Jang truly wants victory in local elections, he should resign rather than push the party further into the swamp of public alienation."
The signatories include Kim Kyung-jin, Kim Geun-sik, Kim Young-woo, Kim Jong-hyuk, Kim Jun-ho, Kim Jin-mo, Na Tae-geun, Ryu Je-hwa, Park Sang-su, Seo Jung-hyun, Song Ju-beom, Oh Shin-hwan, Lee Yong-chang, Lee Jae-young, Lee Jong-chul, Lee Hyun-woong, Jang Jin-young, Cho Su-yeon, Chae Jin-woong, Choi Don-ik, Choi Young-geun, Choi Won-sik, Ham Kyung-woo, Ham Woon-kyung, and Hyun Kyung-byung (in Korean alphabetical order).