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How to read the transformations of President Lee and PPP leader Jang

Published: 01 Sep. 2025, 00:04

Kim Sung-tak

The author is an editorial writer at the JoongAng Ilbo.

Jang Dong-hyeok’s victory in the People Power Party’s (PPP) leadership contest was the result of a strategy that fit the rules. He used what he called the “trap of the rules.” Former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo, a one-time presidential candidate, led Jang by more than 20 percentage points in a public opinion survey. To prevent tactical voting by Democratic Party (DP) supporters, the poll sampled only PPP supporters and independents. In broad terms, Kim held a clear advantage among the party’s support base.

Jang Dong-hyeok, newly elected leader of the People Power Party, holds a press briefing on current issues at the Aviation Training Center of Incheon International Airport Corporation on Aug. 28. [YONHAP]

The way votes were counted decided the outcome. Ballots from dues-paying party members accounted for 80 percent while the survey counted for only 20 percent. With the rules in mind, Jang emphasized hard lines that would appeal to core members strongly opposed to the Lee Jae Myung administration. The result was a win by 2,368 votes.

Defying expectations, Jang’s first remarks after winning were, “I will bring down the Lee Jae Myung government.” But it will be difficult to produce results if he continues to appeal only to the “Yoon Again” camp. The DP, which held a large majority, challenged former president Yoon Suk Yeol on nearly every front and even floated impeachment, culminating in the downfall of his government. Jang may want a “hard-line opposition,” but unlike the DP then, the PPP now lacks the seats to block legislation on its own.

Jang appeared to understand those limits. At a press briefing right after his win, he said that intraparty contests inevitably revive old controversies, but “the convention is over.” He added that he would focus on turning the PPP into a livelihood-first party that keeps the Lee administration in check while presenting policy alternatives and that he would move the party toward the future.

As leader of a small opposition party, his view of relations with the government was notably realistic. “Cooperation requires a balance of power. With 107 PPP lawmakers, the only way to balance is with public support. If the PPP’s approval rises, and the ruling party and the Lee administration’s approval falls so that balance is achieved, then cooperation becomes possible.”

Perhaps for that reason, Jang began to shift within days of his election. During the convention he said he would visit former president Yoon, but he stepped back, saying now was the time to make appointments and reorganize the party. On rumors that far-right YouTuber Jeon Han-gil would be given a party post, he said "serving as a volunteer outside the party" fit better. To keep the hard-line pro-Yoon core while broadening support among moderates who opposed martial law and supported impeachment, this pivot was an expected route.

Whether Jang’s plan succeeds depends, in part, on a decline in the Lee administration’s popularity. But Lee’s own transformation has been more striking. The recent Korea–U.S. summit was emblematic. Asked to evaluate it, Jang said he had warned that an incorrect diplomatic line would become a national risk, and that his concerns were becoming reality.

After Lee’s summits with Japan and the United States, however, his approval rating — after dipping — returned to previous levels. In a Gallup Korea survey conducted Tuesday to Thursday, “diplomacy” was the most cited reason for positive job evaluations at 21 percent. Among moderates in the same poll, party support registered 48 percent for the Democratic Party and 14 percent for the PPP. The success of the summits likely owed much to careful strategy and preparation, but Lee’s pragmatic turn was decisive.

President Lee Jae Myung speaksat the Disaster and Safety Situation Room of Gangneung City Hall in Gangneung, Gangwon, on Aug. 30. Coastal areas of the province, including Gangneung, have been suffering from severe drought. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

During the presidential race, Lee drew criticism for a xie xie remark that was seen as pro-China. On the radio at the time, speaking about U.S. President Donald Trump’s style, he said, “Any humiliation or pressure is not about me personally but for the people, so if necessary, I can even crawl under someone’s legs. If a president briefly bends so that 52 million people can stand tall, then he should.” His response to public opinion has also been swift. When his party tried to push prosecutorial reform, he said he could personally preside and ordered debate. He made an unscheduled weekend trip to Gangneung, Gangwon, to address a water shortage. With next year’s local elections in mind, he has taken the lead on policies and pledges, including relocating the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan.

Unlike Yoon, who avoided meetings with opposition leaders, Lee requested a meeting with the DP chair right after the summit. At a luncheon with party lawmakers in the state guesthouse at the Blue House, he urged them not to push the opposition excessively and to pursue cooperation. If the government and ruling party avoid missteps, the opportunity Jang seeks may not arrive. With local elections approaching next year, continued transformation is in order.

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.