People Power Party leader Dong-hyuk Jang, marking his first year in office, offered a message of self-reflection, saying the party had failed to unite and fight properly against what he called the "endless misgovernment and tyranny of the Lee Jae-myung administration." He pledged to build a foundation for victory in the next general election while concentrating the party's efforts on protecting citizens' housing and property rights during the remainder of his term.
Jang held a news conference marking his first anniversary at the party's central headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 26th. "We will devote the party's full strength to defending citizens' right to housing," he said, adding that he would "push forward with housing policies centered on the field and on owner-occupier buyers to correct the Lee Jae-myung administration's real estate tyranny."
Taking aim in particular at the government's proposed overhaul of property taxes, Jang stressed: "We will block this tax bomb through a legislative fight in the National Assembly and devote our energy to scrapping various regulations, including lending restrictions." He added, "We will find groundbreaking ways to speed up redevelopment and rebuilding, and work with experts to draw up aggressive measures to expand supply."
Jang also vowed to take the lead in protecting citizens' property rights. "We will set up a party-level task force to investigate the single-stock leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that drained people's savings, to identify the causes and responsibility and to draw up measures to prevent a recurrence," he said. "We will also thoroughly review, at the party level, how pension funds including the National Pension Service are managed."
Jang also set out goals to complete during the remaining year of his term, including blocking attempts to cancel the president's trials and to amend the constitution for consecutive terms; reforming the National Election Commission and the electoral system to protect citizens' right to political participation; restoring prosecutors' supplementary investigation powers and repealing what he called the "online gag law"; establishing a "youth housing task force" within a special committee on real estate normalization; and repealing the so-called yellow envelope law.
Jang also announced a reform road map for the party. "I will vigorously pursue 'reform from within' to make the People Power Party a strong party," he said. "I will create a virtuous cycle in which the system draws talent, talent creates a better environment, and that environment in turn advances the system."
To that end, the party will pursue what it calls the "People Power Party 2.0 Four Major Innovation Projects." First, Jang promised to "open an era of 'Member Sovereignty 2.0,'" saying he would "expand member sovereignty by having members participate directly in the election of city and provincial party chairs and district committee chairs." The party also plans to revise its charter and rules to reform party affairs and to establish a "Member Sovereignty 2.0 Committee."
Second, Jang said the party would "move toward a 'People's Livelihood Party 2.0,'" pledging to "build a systematic policy management system spanning field inspection (Patrol), legislation (Legislation) and aftercare (Aftercare) so that it can lead issues in areas such as the economy, diplomacy, security, youth and the future." The system will be pursued through a "People's Livelihood Vitality PLA Committee" reporting directly to the party leader.
Jang also introduced a "Communication Party 2.0" and a "Values Party 2.0," saying he would expand opportunities for communication and establish online and offline archives documenting the party's history and values.
