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Jang Dong-hyeok elected new PPP leader

Published: 26 Aug. 2025, 13:03 Updated: 26 Aug. 2025, 17:44

Newly elected People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok greets supporters ahead of a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Aug. 26. [NEWS1]

Jang Dong-hyeok was elected the new leader of the People Power Party (PPP) on Tuesday, narrowly defeating former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo in a runoff vote held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul.

The judge-turned-two-term lawmaker received 220,302 votes, edging out Kim, who garnered 217,935 votes — a slim margin of 2,367 votes.

The runoff followed the party’s sixth national convention, in which Jang and Kim emerged as the top two candidates in the main vote held on Aug. 22. In that round, Jang secured 130,230 votes, ahead of Kim’s 101,233.

The PPP determined the final outcome by combining votes from party members and the general public, weighted at 80 percent and 20 percent, respectively. Of the 753,076 eligible voters, 350,590 participated — a turnout of 46.55 percent.

In the party member vote, Jang won 185,401 votes to Kim’s 165,189. However, Kim held a lead in the public opinion poll, earning 60.18 percent of support — equivalent to 52,742 votes — compared to Jang’s 39.82 percent, or 34,902 votes.

In his acceptance speech, Jang thanked party members, calling the result “a victory made possible by our members and by the new media environment.”

“I put my faith in our party members, and that belief brought me here,” he said. “I am deeply grateful to everyone who placed their trust in me.”

He pledged to press forward with party reform and to take a hard stance against the current administration.

Newly elected People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Aug. 26. [NEWS1]

“As I did throughout this convention, I will move forward unwaveringly if the path is right,” he said. “I will give everything to unite all conservatives and bring down the Lee Jae Myung administration.”

Jang said his election as party leader marked “the beginning of reform,” adding, “With the aspirations of our members, I will begin renewing the People Power Party from today and lead it toward the future.”

“This is not a burden I can bear alone,” he continued. “I cannot navigate these difficult circumstances on my own.”

He concluded by asking members to stay with him on the path to party reform. “I ask all of you who entrusted me with this heavy responsibility to help transform the PPP into a winning party,” he said. “Together, we will build a party where members are the true owners. I will stand by every one of you who stood by me.”

Jang, born in 1969, represents Boryeong-Seocheon in South Chungcheong. He holds a degree from Seoul National University’s Department of French Education, passed the national civil service exam in 1991 and served as an administrative official in the Ministry of Education before passing the bar in 2001.

He worked as a judge from 2004 until resigning in mid-2020 while presiding over a high-profile defamation case involving former President Chun Doo Hwan, in order to run for the National Assembly.

Originally seen as a core ally of Han Dong-hoon, Jang has since positioned himself as a leading figure of the anti-impeachment camp, firmly opposing former President Yoon Suk Yeol's ouster and rallying strong conservative and Christian-aligned support. Jang previously served as the PPP's spokesperson, the senior party committee spokesperson and a senior party committee member.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]