Future is bleak for ruling party and hard-line supporters
Yesterday morning, around 40 lawmakers from the People Power Party (PPP) gathered in front of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s official residence in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, to block the execution of his arrest warrant. Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, acting as their de facto spokesperson, argued, “An unlawful investigation and a warrant that violates provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act is null and void, and every citizen has the right to resist such actions.”
The move came after far-right YouTube channels over the weekend lambasted PPP lawmakers, accusing them of inaction while “patriotic citizens braved the cold to protect the president.” Party members reportedly bombarded lawmakers’ phones with complaints, pressuring them into joining the protest. The lawmakers eventually sided with the demonstrators to prevent the arrest. Fortunately, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) decided not to execute the warrant that day, averting a potential clash between the lawmakers and investigators.
For lawmakers, who are entrusted with the responsibility of crafting laws, to take physical action against the execution of a warrant is a grave affront to the rule of law. Even if the PPP views the warrant as flawed, it is up to President Yoon and his legal team to challenge it within the framework of the law. Dozens of lawmakers attempting to physically block the arrest is an unlawful act that undermines the principle of equality before the law — a cornerstone of democratic societies. More concerningly, it gives the impression that the party condones Yoon’s imposition of martial law.
The PPP leadership has distanced itself from the protest, framing it as the actions of individual lawmakers. However, given the number of participants, there are growing concerns that the party is being driven by its hard-line supporters. The situation bears a striking resemblance to the Democratic Party (DP), where lawmakers are often seen bowing to the influence of Lee Jae-myung’s most fervent supporters, known as “daughters of reform.” The rise of hard-liners within the PPP seems to have been catalyzed by President Yoon’s declaration to “fight until the end,” which has galvanized conservative voters. According to a Realmeter poll released yesterday, PPP support has rebounded to 34.5 percent (compared to the DP’s 45.2 percent), returning to pre-martial-law levels.
The PPP must recognize that this trend is a double-edged sword. Mobilizing only its conservative base will make it difficult to win any election. Winning over the moderate electorate remains the most critical challenge, yet it is hard to see how this can be achieved when lawmakers are storming the president’s residence to block the execution of an arrest warrant. It is unlikely that many PPP lawmakers support Yoon’s declaration of martial law; their initial reaction was one of incredulity. The political and social verdict on Yoon’s actions has already been rendered — only the legal judgment remains.
The PPP must extricate itself from the quagmire of the martial law crisis. Clinging to short-term approval ratings by pandering to its hard-line base will only darken the party’s future.
Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
The move came after far-right YouTube channels over the weekend lambasted PPP lawmakers, accusing them of inaction while “patriotic citizens braved the cold to protect the president.” Party members reportedly bombarded lawmakers’ phones with complaints, pressuring them into joining the protest. The lawmakers eventually sided with the demonstrators to prevent the arrest. Fortunately, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) decided not to execute the warrant that day, averting a potential clash between the lawmakers and investigators.
For lawmakers, who are entrusted with the responsibility of crafting laws, to take physical action against the execution of a warrant is a grave affront to the rule of law. Even if the PPP views the warrant as flawed, it is up to President Yoon and his legal team to challenge it within the framework of the law. Dozens of lawmakers attempting to physically block the arrest is an unlawful act that undermines the principle of equality before the law — a cornerstone of democratic societies. More concerningly, it gives the impression that the party condones Yoon’s imposition of martial law.
The PPP leadership has distanced itself from the protest, framing it as the actions of individual lawmakers. However, given the number of participants, there are growing concerns that the party is being driven by its hard-line supporters. The situation bears a striking resemblance to the Democratic Party (DP), where lawmakers are often seen bowing to the influence of Lee Jae-myung’s most fervent supporters, known as “daughters of reform.” The rise of hard-liners within the PPP seems to have been catalyzed by President Yoon’s declaration to “fight until the end,” which has galvanized conservative voters. According to a Realmeter poll released yesterday, PPP support has rebounded to 34.5 percent (compared to the DP’s 45.2 percent), returning to pre-martial-law levels.
The PPP must recognize that this trend is a double-edged sword. Mobilizing only its conservative base will make it difficult to win any election. Winning over the moderate electorate remains the most critical challenge, yet it is hard to see how this can be achieved when lawmakers are storming the president’s residence to block the execution of an arrest warrant. It is unlikely that many PPP lawmakers support Yoon’s declaration of martial law; their initial reaction was one of incredulity. The political and social verdict on Yoon’s actions has already been rendered — only the legal judgment remains.
The PPP must extricate itself from the quagmire of the martial law crisis. Clinging to short-term approval ratings by pandering to its hard-line base will only darken the party’s future.
Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
No comments
Post a Comment