Jang Dong-hyeok, leader of the People Power Party, sharpened his criticism of a revised Information and Communications Network Act set to take effect the following day, saying it aims to "silence not only existing legacy media but also the mouths of YouTubers, ahead of the withdrawal of the prosecution against President Lee Jae-myung."
Jang made the remarks Tuesday at a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. "Slapping a fake-news label carries a fine of 1 billion won, and judging by the Lee Jae-myung administration's conduct so far, attaching a fake-news label is nothing at all," he said.
That day, Jang and other party leaders attended the Supreme Council meeting wearing black masks, likening the enforcement of the Information and Communications Network Act to "gagging the public."
Jang particularly stressed that the law "will ultimately silence the mouths of all citizens," adding that "comments opposing Lee Jae-myung will completely disappear from online."
He continued, "This is a bill that concerns not only our party but even international media organizations, yet the Democratic Party pushed it through and the president responded with an enforcement decree." He pointed out, "It reminds me of the image of Hong Kong, where anti-China media were shut down and sent to prison."
Jang also warned, "If they blind the public's eyes, block their ears, and gag their mouths, it completes Lee Jae-myung's dictatorship," adding, "In the end, they will move to amend the Constitution and seek re-election."
He added, "The constitutional amendment being discussed now is likely a buildup for that," and, "I will protect the people's freedom by re-revising the Information and Communications Network Act."
Jang also renewed his call for the introduction of a special counsel over the "ballot paper shortage incident," strongly criticizing the Democratic Party, saying, "The Democratic Party has once again brought out its bed-lying special counsel tactic."
He said, "Just like during the Unification Church special counsel, it's a tactic of claiming to hold a special counsel only in words, then lying down and stalling for time before ultimately scuttling it," and pointed out, "They say excluding the Democratic Party from special counsel nominations is sophistry, but do they not remember how they repeatedly pushed through special counsels that excluded the People Power Party?"
He also said, "If a third-party-nominated special counsel is realistic and fair, then they are admitting on their own that the special counsels the Democratic Party pushed through were unrealistic and unfair." He added, "Limiting the scope of investigation to this incident and to the inside of the Election Commission is absurd."
Jang said, "The special counsel the public wants is one nominated by the opposition with an unlimited scope of investigation," and demanded, "I hope they immediately accept a proper special counsel for the people."
