People Power Party's Approval Rating Surpasses Democratic Party for the First Time... One Year of Jang Dong-hyuk's Leadership: Achievements and Challenges

Jeollabuk-do's decision to pay 1.2 million won per person annually to 723 bereaved family members of participants in the Donghak Peasant Movement has sparked controversy. Questions are being raised about the inclusion of great-grandchildren in the scope of support for an event that occurred 132 years ago, and the validity of the financial expenditure.

The host mentioned, "Jeollabuk-do will pay 1.2 million won per year to 723 bereaved families of participants in the Donghak Peasant Movement. This news has been reported. It's an event from 132 years ago, and 1.2 million won annually to bereaved families." Criticism is emerging regarding this decision, made without clear boundaries and standards for historical reparations.

This support payment raises various questions regarding the appropriateness, scope, and fiscal soundness of historical reparations, and is drawing attention as it could set a precedent for similar cases in the future.

According to a PenNMike poll, negative evaluations of the Lee Jae-myung government's state administration exceeded 60%, while positive evaluations recorded 36.3%, entering the 30% range for the first time. The host commented, "Negative evaluations have just surpassed 60%. Positive evaluations are at 36.3%. This is the first time it starts with a '3', indicating that the decline of the Lee Jae-myung administration is in full swing." This diagnosis suggests a full-scale decline in the Lee Jae-myung government's approval rating for state affairs.

Notably, approval ratings plummeted among young people in their 20s and 30s, and a significant defection of public sentiment was observed across different regions. This trend is similar to specific approval rating figures mentioned by writer Yoo Si-min in the past, making it even more noteworthy.

The results of this poll are interpreted as a clear indicator of the severe weakening of Lee Jae-myung's support base and the alienation of public sentiment facing his government.

In a PenNMike poll, the People Power Party's approval rating reached 41.7%, surpassing the Democratic Party's 38.8%. The host stated, "The party approval ratings of the People Power Party and the Democratic Party have reversed. The People Power Party is at 41.7%, the Democratic Party at 38.8%. This is the first time I've seen it reverse," emphasizing that this phenomenon has occurred for the first time since 2024.

This result is interpreted as a strengthening of internal solidarity within the party and a spread of positive evaluations since Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk took office. In particular, it is analyzed that support for the People Power Party has coalesced, coinciding with Chairman Lee Jae-myung's declining approval rating for state affairs.

The reversal in party approval ratings is considered a significant change that could have a considerable impact on future general election and presidential election dynamics. Based on this rise in approval, the People Power Party is expected to further solidify internal unity and strengthen its position as a conservative party externally.

For the Democratic Party, facing the dual challenge of declining approval ratings and the People Power Party's rise, it is a time to feel a sense of crisis within the party and seek ways for innovation.

Regarding Chairman Lee Jae-myung's remarks on constitutional amendment, a public opinion poll showed that 56.7% perceive his statements as being for his own re-election or multiple terms. The host stated, "56.7% believe Lee Jae-myung's constitutional amendment remarks are for his re-election or multiple terms. The National Assembly Research Service has already made it clear that even if the power structure is changed through constitutional amendment under the current constitution, it would not apply to the incumbent president." He added that the National Assembly Research Service explicitly stated that changes to the power structure through constitutional amendment under the current constitution would not apply to the current president.

This situation has led to criticism of Lee Jae-myung's lack of momentum in pushing for constitutional amendment and the 'breakdown' of his government's engine.

In a public perception survey on whether the US-Korea alliance is in a serious state, 59.7% responded 'serious'. In contrast, 36.4% responded 'not serious'. The host reported the results, saying, "Is the US-Korea alliance in a serious state, or not serious? Serious: 59.7%, Not serious: 36.4%."

While there are differences in opinion depending on the tendencies of support bases and regional disparities, this perception generally shows that a majority of the public is concerned about the current state of the US-Korea alliance.

Current affairs critic Park Sang-gyu diagnosed Chairman Lee Jae-myung's stagnant approval rating as not merely muscle loss, but a "serious phase of losing bone and marrow." Critic Park emphasized the gravity of the current situation, stating, "That's not losing muscle, that's losing bone. Losing bone marrow. Then you truly die."

This is interpreted as pointing out that Lee Jae-myung's decline in approval rating is not a temporary phenomenon but a structural problem that includes the defection of his core support base.

Regarding the 53-to-47 vote difference seen in the Democratic Party's national convention, critic Park Sang-gyu interpreted it as being due to the Gwangju-Jeonnam semiconductor pledge controversy. He argued, "A significant portion of that difference, that gap, was due to the Gwangju-Jeonnam semiconductor issue. That's my view."

This interpretation leads to an analysis that the convention results reflect the sentiment of party members regarding regional issues, beyond a simple competition between candidates. The loss of trust from half of the party members is being pointed out as a key factor in the Democratic Party's current crisis.

This suggests that the fundamental cause of the Democratic Party's current internal strife stems from a disconnect with the sentiment of its party members, providing important implications for the future direction of party reform.

Rep. Park Jie-won criticized the Democratic Party's party appointments with a self-deprecating analogy, saying he "became Neungchanbong at 80." Critic Park Sang-gyu quoted Rep. Park Jie-won's remarks, saying, "He said he became Neungchanbong at 80. He meant he was embarrassed himself." He then conveyed a cynical assessment of the title 'Head of Alley Politics, Alley Livelihood Group'.

This reflects a critical perspective that the Democratic Party's party appointments are biased towards specific factions or individuals rather than experience and expertise. Rep. Park Jie-won's remarks are interpreted as showing that there is dissatisfaction within the party regarding the current appointment method.

Such criticism of party appointments suggests that the Democratic Party has many challenges to resolve in achieving internal unity and reform.

Supreme Council Member Kim Min-seok announced that he would take legal action against polling organizations and YouTubers after the national convention, responding to media reports. Critic Park Sang-gyu commented, "From what I see, Kim Min-seok is furious. He's saying 'be careful what you say during this sensitive time.' He actually said it to Yoo Si-min," stating that Supreme Council Member Kim Min-seok is demanding careful remarks from Democratic Party lawmakers and striving for internal unity.

This appears to be an attempt to block negative public opinion spreading regarding the convention results and to quell internal confusion within the party.

Critic Park Sang-gyu assessed Rep. Kim Min-seok as a 'master of change' and predicted he would alter his relationship with Chairman Lee Jae-myung based on the situation. Critic Park quoted Rep. Kim Min-seok's past remarks, saying, "He himself said the word 'change.' What is 'change'? It means changing like a leopard sheds its fur. It's a complete transformation. He is a master of change," criticizing his political trajectory.

This leads to an analysis that Rep. Kim Min-seok will follow Chairman Lee Jae-myung when his power is strong, but is a person who can dismiss him at any time if the situation changes. The possibility of conflicts similar to the past relationship between Rep. Chung Dong-young and former President Roh Moo-hyun is also raised.

Such evaluations point to the instability of power relations within the Democratic Party and the political opportunism of certain individuals, potentially becoming a fuse for future internal conflicts.

It has been pointed out that Rep. Kim Min-seok is publicly opposing the appointment of former People Power Party Innovation Committee Chairman In Yo-han as the president of the Korean Red Cross, demonstrating a move of political retaliation. Critic Park Sang-gyu commented, "He said, 'Please don't appoint In Yo-han as the president of the Korean Red Cross.' Is that a quick change now? It's retaliation, really," criticizing Rep. Kim's actions.

This is interpreted as reflecting dissatisfaction that Chairman Lee Jae-myung's side is not fulfilling political promises, as well as a strategic desperation to focus on minor issues in a pressing situation.

Engaging in unproductive actions due to personal feelings or past conflicts at a politically important time can negatively affect the party's overall strategy.

The Jo Guk Innovation Party announced its opposition to a merger with the Democratic Party and declared it would definitely field candidates in the next general election in the constituencies of Reps. Lee Won-ju and Kang Du-gu. Critic Park Sang-gyu commented, "Jo Guk is angry. He's saying they will definitely field candidates, no, candidates in the next general election in the constituencies of those lawmakers, Lee Won-ju and Kang Du-gu. Jo Guk seems to be thinking many things."

This appears to be Jo Guk's sense of alienation and dissatisfaction during the merger process escalating into anger. There is also an analysis that Rep. Chung Cheong-rae's attempt to push for a merger effectively provoked Jo Guk and caused a shift in the mood within the Democratic Party.

The Jo Guk Innovation Party's independent stance could be a variable in the pan-opposition election alliance strategy and has the potential to further intensify conflict with the Democratic Party.

Professor Emeritus Baek Nak-cheong of Seoul National University assessed the results of the Democratic Party's national convention as "President Lee Jae-myung and his supporters suppressing an internal rebellion." Former North Chungcheong Governor Kim Young-hwan quoted Professor Baek Nak-cheong's remarks, saying, "Professor Emeritus Baek Nak-cheong of Seoul National University evaluated the Democratic Party's national convention as President Lee Jae-myung and his supporters suppressing an internal rebellion. He referred to Chung Cheong-rae and Yoo Si-min as 'rebels.'"

This evaluation drew criticism for reflecting a psychological state of schism within the Democratic Party, by labeling figures like Rep. Chung Cheong-rae and writer Yoo Si-min as 'rebels'. It was criticized as an example of the pro-North Korean and pro-communist forces' chronic political framing and distorted perception of reality.

Professor Baek Nak-cheong's remarks not only exposed the seriousness of factional conflicts and power struggles within the Democratic Party but also fueled controversy with excessive expressions towards specific individuals.

Factional conflict is deepening within the Democratic Party between the Roh Moo-hyun/Moon Jae-in/Jo Guk line and the Lee Jae-myung/Kim Min-seok line, with some even raising the possibility of the party's collapse. Former North Chungcheong Governor Kim Young-hwan stated, "Lee Jae-myung cannot solve his judicial problems without the dismissal or withdrawal of charges, or a constitutional amendment for re-election. So Kim Min-seok and Lee Jae-myung will try to push it through, while Chung Cheong-rae and his side will resist, saying it will ruin both the general and presidential elections. I think an irreconcilable problem arises there," emphasizing that Lee Jae-myung's push for dismissal/withdrawal of charges and a constitutional amendment for re-election is a core conflict element.

This conflict is expected to significantly impact the Democratic Party's future general and presidential election strategies, with some analysis suggesting that the sentiment of Gwangju could be the 'smoking gun' for the party's collapse.

Writer Yoo Si-min continues his resolute criticism, labeling Chairman Lee Jae-myung an 'arrogant power figure'. Former North Chungcheong Governor Kim Young-hwan stated, "Ah, their judgment on Lee Jae-myung is complete, and they are predicting the downfall and failure of this regime. They think so. I even think Kim Eo-jun thinks that way," diagnosing that Yoo Si-min is predicting the downfall and failure of the Lee Jae-myung regime.

This is interpreted as Yoo Si-min having learned from observing the downfall of the Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in administrations, and accordingly showing a willingness to make an early exit from Chairman Lee Jae-myung's side.

Former North Chungcheong Governor Kim Young-hwan predicted a shift in the mainstream forces within the Democratic Party, diagnosing that 'the era of Baek Nak-cheong is passing, and the era of Yoo Si-min is coming.' He stated, "From a historical and political perspective, I believe the era of Baek Nak-cheong is passing, and if we look only at the Democratic Party, the era of Yoo Si-min is arriving."

Professor Baek Nak-cheong was likened to a sinking ship due to his incorrect assessment of the situation, while writer Yoo Si-min's diagnosis was accurate, but his direction was still deemed a precipice.

This analysis suggests that ideological and political hegemony is shifting within the Democratic Party, foreshadowing significant changes in the party's direction and orientation.

The United States is strongly demanding that Korean semiconductor companies build factories within the US, exerting economic pressure. Former North Chungcheong Governor Kim Young-hwan stated, "The basis for that is, 'You say you have so much money that you're building a 1,000 trillion, 800 trillion won facility in Gwangju, so build it in the US where conditions are much better.' They are pressuring us with that," explaining that the logic is if Korea has the capacity for large-scale investment in Gwangju, it should invest in the US.

This is interpreted as an attempt to maximize US economic interests ahead of former President Trump's midterm elections. The US has warned that it may impose tariffs or other measures if Korean companies do not comply with the demand to build factories within the US.

Former President Trump, fearing a midterm election defeat, is reportedly considering declaring a state of emergency under the 'American Voting' bill. Former North Chungcheong Governor Kim Young-hwan explained, "That state of emergency is that he's introduced a law called 'American Voting' and argues that to prevent election fraud in America, there are problems with mail-in voting, so voting rights should not be given to people without certain licenses or qualifications."

This refers to a scenario where Trump points out problems with mail-in voting, fosters distrust in the overall election system, and could declare an emergency based on this if he loses the election.

Such movements could pose a serious threat to the US democratic system, and political chaos could intensify depending on the outcome of the midterm elections.

People Power Party Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk announced six key promises, including the restoration of security sovereignty, and plans for new party organizations on his first anniversary in office. Kim Hyo-eun, Spokesperson for the People Power Party, stated, "It became like depriving security sovereignty. Therefore, we will legislate to revive this. So, we will focus on legislation to restore supplementary investigative powers," emphasizing the will to pursue legislation to restore prosecutorial investigative powers.

Key promises include legislative initiatives to restore prosecutorial investigative powers and abolish the online 'mouth-gagging' law for freedom of expression. Concrete measures to address livelihood and youth issues were also presented, such as guaranteeing youth happiness rights, establishing a Youth Housing and Jobs TF, and forming a Livelihood Vitality PLA Committee directly under the party leader.

Internally, the party showed its commitment to strengthening its capabilities and re-establishing conservative values through regularizing staff meetings and establishing a Committee for Establishing Conservative Identity. These promises demonstrate Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk's focus on overcoming the party's crisis and preparing for the future.

Through the announcement of these promises, Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk declared his commitment to innovation and people-centered politics, aiming to restore public trust.

The Jang Dong-hyuk leadership, marking its first anniversary, highlighted overcoming the party's crisis and establishing conservative values as its key achievements. Kim Hyo-eun, Spokesperson for the People Power Party, stated, "I truly believe we protected the party. We did everything but die," highly praising the leadership's efforts.

She emphasized that the party was protected at a time when its very existence was threatened due to reasons such as veteran members not running in the national convention. She explained that the party demonstrated its presence by showing strong resolve through participating in filibusters and hunger strikes.

It was also evaluated that the party contributed to transforming from an individual politician-centered operation to a comrade-oriented party with a sense of community. This reflects efforts to establish stable leadership by improving the party's constitution.

The Jang Dong-hyuk leadership emphasized that over the past year, despite various internal and external difficulties, it worked to stabilize the party and re-establish its identity as a conservative party.

Kim Hyo-eun, Spokesperson for the People Power Party, pointed out factual distortions in the Chosun Ilbo's report and urged the media to refrain from making value judgments. Spokesperson Kim criticized, "When reporters write articles, they should base them on facts, and I believe articles that contain their own value judgments or intentions do not align with journalism."

This was a rebuttal to the report of her comment, 'a clean sweep like wielding party power,' emphasizing that her remark was unrelated to the exclusion of Yeongnam lawmakers.

Kim Hyo-eun, Spokesperson for the People Power Party, explained that Spokesperson Park Min-young's remark about 'party contribution' was a principle-based statement, not an attack on a specific faction. Spokesperson Kim stated, "Is it right for someone to act as a lawmaker, as a candidate of this party, without contributing to the party, and only engage in self-serving legislative activities? Of course, such individuals should be sorted out," emphasizing that lawmakers who do not contribute to the party and only act self-servingly should be removed.

She clarified that there was no intention to attack senior lawmakers from the Yeongnam region, defining the targets of reform as lawmakers exhibiting 'old political practices,' not those based on age or region. Spokesperson Kim expressed the view that such principles are necessary for the party's development.

These remarks clarify the People Power Party leadership's stance on party reform, offering a glimpse into the direction of future personnel reshuffles within the party.

Kim Hyo-eun, Spokesperson for the People Power Party, pointed out a contradiction in Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo's criticism of the 100% party member rule. Spokesperson Kim retorted, "So, was the party members' choice correct then, but wrong now?" criticizing that it is inconsistent for individuals who spearheaded the 100% party member rule in the past to now deny the party-member-centric stance.

This statement, quoting Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo's SNS post, directly refutes the logic of those close to Ahn and Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon. Spokesperson Kim reaffirmed the fundamental value of the party, party-member centrism, emphasizing that the choices of party members should be respected.

This controversy shows that conflicts over party convention rules still exist, and the differences in positions among various factions are sharp. Spokesperson Kim Hyo-eun's remarks are interpreted as an attempt to represent the voices of party members and re-establish the principle of party-member centric operation.

This is a crucial issue that could significantly impact the future power structure and leadership changes within the party, offering a glimpse into the internal struggles of the People Power Party.