People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok and Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik enter the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 29th. [Yonhap News] 

The People Power Party is sinking into a quagmire of internal strife on the 29th, following leader Jang Dong-hyeok's declaration that "attempts to shake the party leadership are acts of harming the party."

Leader Jang, who had been hospitalized due to declining health, returned to work on the 24th and immediately hinted at disciplinary action against the anti-Jang faction, asserting that completing his term is the path to transforming the party's foundation and rebuilding the conservative movement.

However, the prevailing sentiment among the non-mainstream faction—and even some within the former pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Suk-yeol) mainstream—is that Jang's leadership has collapsed, and that his actions are not worth responding to.

Late last night, Jang posted on Facebook that he had visited Jamsil Olympic Park, stating, "Let us not grow weary. I am steadying my heart once again. Winning a special counsel probe and achieving victory in the by-elections is the mission entrusted to me."

On the 26th, appearing on a YouTube channel, he singled out lawmakers Kim Yong-tae, Kim Jae-seob, and Woo Jae-jun by name, fiercely criticizing them by saying, "They are the first to step out and raise their voices the loudest whenever they attack the leadership."

People Power Party Youth Supreme Council member Woo Jae-jun speaks at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 29th. To his left is leader Jang Dong-hyeok listening. [Yonhap News] 

Within the party, reactions of absurdity followed.

At the Supreme Council meeting that day, Youth Supreme Council member Woo Jae-jun retorted, "Rep. Kim Jae-seob made the greatest contribution to the recent Seoul mayoral election, and Rep. Kim Yong-tae is a young politician who led our party well during the last presidential election." He added, "If we ignore such contributions and simply label these people as committing acts of harming the party just because they criticize the leadership, that is no longer a balanced perspective."

He continued, "While the leadership talks about being a 'one team,' all I remember is disciplinary action and ridicule within the party facilitated by party officials," emphasizing, "When all party members start to look like enemies, it is time for the leader to step down. Leader Jang, you must step down so that our party can truly move forward as one team."

In response, Supreme Council member Jo Gwang-han hit back, saying, "Self-serving thoughts and expressions only degrade the dignity of politicians themselves and undermine trust in politics."

Kim Min-soo, a Supreme Council member close to Jang, also requested to speak and shouted, "How many times do I have to tell you to distinguish between what should and should not be said in public?" before retorting, "Resign!"

Supreme Council member Shin Dong-wook, who belongs to the party's mainstream faction, also told reporters after the meeting that "the Supreme Council meeting must not become a venue for constant demands for the leader's resignation."

Chief Spokesperson Park Sung-hoon reported that after the meeting shifted to a closed-door session, Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik observed the conflict and delivered a stinging remark: "Although silence can sometimes be a greater political weapon, this venue is being used for the purpose of attacking specific individuals."

Jang later announced on his Facebook page that he told the closed-door meeting: "No matter what the general meeting of lawmakers decides or what anyone says at this Supreme Council, I will not resign. Those among the Supreme Council members who wish to resign should do so here and now."

People Power Party Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik drinks water during the Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly on the 29th. [Yonhap News] 

While clashes over Jang's status occur every time a Supreme Council meeting is held, an atmosphere of "tacit non-response" is gradually spreading within the party.

The reformist group "Alternatives and Future" urged in a statement yesterday, "Do not mistake the People Power Party for leader Jang's private party any longer."

However, the issue of the leader was not raised publicly during the general meeting of lawmakers that afternoon.

An official from the "Alternatives and Future" group stated that since the main agenda of the day's meeting was the negotiation strategy for the composition of the latter half of the 22nd National Assembly, they focused on presenting a unified voice for the struggle against the opposition and decided to take a "no-response" stance regarding the leader's position.

It is understood that the issue of Jang's position was not mentioned, as Jang did not attend the general meeting of lawmakers either.

It appears that more weight is being given to the opinion that, given the widespread consensus even among the former pro-Yoon mainstream and senior Yeongnam lawmakers on the need for Jang's resignation, it would be better to respond only if actual disciplinary action by the Ethics Committee materializes.

A lawmaker belonging to the group told Yonhap News, "Lawmakers are bewildered. The general consensus is wondering why leader Jang has become even more erratic since returning from the hospital."

Another lawmaker stated, "Leader Jang's words are not worth responding to, so I have no desire to refute them or express an official position externally."

Meanwhile, it is reported that the Ethics Committee, which had been suspended during the local election period, will be convened on the 6th of next month.

If a "disciplinary civil war" begins in earnest, expectations are that the situation will turn into a recurring cycle similar to earlier this year, when pro-Han (pro-Han Dong-hoon) figures such as Rep. Bae Hyun-jin and former Supreme Council member Kim Jong-hyuk filed injunctions with the court to invalidate the party's disciplinary actions.

On this day, Rep. Kang Myung-gu, the party's deputy secretary-general, was captured by media cameras while discussing those subject to disciplinary action via Telegram with party staff.

Rep. Jin Jong-oh, a pro-Han figure whose name was mentioned in that conversation, met with reporters and said, "The public will have judged for themselves," adding, "Are those who cause the party's division due to their own ambition for power not the ones truly hindering the reconstruction of conservatism?"

When asked by reporters about leader Jang confirming once again that he would not resign, Rep. Han Dong-hoon quipped, "Even Hong Myung-bo (the manager who performed poorly at the World Cup) resigned."

People Power Party Rep. Jin Jong-oh calls for the resignation of all executives of the Korea Football Association and a truth-finding investigation into the appointment process of manager Hong Myung-bo regarding the national football team's World Cup performance at the National Assembly Communication Hall on the 29th. [Yonhap News]