Speaker holding the gavel, crowd seated with their backs turned. The street is not a courtroom. Hankyoreh Graphics

Presidential impeachment, a crushing defeat in general elections, and the unchecked reign of the Lee Jae-myung administration. The fatigue and anger of the conservative base are at a boiling point. The People Power Party's only option is to take their fight to the streets, yet the protests are mere intermittent ripples. Why is this so?

The National Assembly is dominated by the Democratic Party, and the Lee Jae-myung administration dictates legislation, budget, and personnel appointments. The judiciary is faltering, and the media has been tamed. The People Power Party's attempt to check the administration within the established system is an illusion. Their only path forward lies outside of it.

The People Power Party has held rallies in Daegu and Seoul, but the crowds were comprised of mobilized party members rather than spontaneous citizens. This made the events appear as "party functions" rather than an aggregation of public anger.

I am not writing this to criticize them. While the leadership under Jang Dong-hyuk is doing well, there is a critical error in their judgment that I wish to point out.

Street politics loses its momentum without a compelling narrative. Crafting this narrative is the responsibility of the political sphere. Yet, even outside the assembly, they are pursuing issues that mimic parliamentary oversight, leaving people indifferent. While these efforts are not entirely without merit, their lack of efficiency raises concerns about sustainability.

The street is not a courtroom. Perhaps the People Power Party views it as a stage for uncovering truth, but it is not. Reflect on the past. Was there truth in the protests over imported beef or the impeachment of Park Geun-hye?

If the current leadership under Jang Dong-hyuk were to wield a narrative capable of uniting the public's anger, people would follow. However, the leadership's adherence to the illusion of appealing to moderates leads them to avoid this narrative, preventing street protests from gaining traction.

The release of Yoon Suk-yeol is symbolic of political retribution, and fraudulent elections symbolize the collapse of democracy. The tyranny of Lee Jae-myung serves as a powerful source for such a narrative; no narrative is more potent. Yet, the People Power Party does not confront this head-on, fearing the alienation of moderates. Consequently, the narratives crafted by the Lee Jae-myung administration—"Yoon Suk-yeol is a criminal" and "the elections were fair"—are solidifying as if they were facts.

In their pursuit of moderates, the People Power Party avoids core narratives, but moderates are not an independent force. They are merely swing voters who gravitate towards the side with more power. Only when the People Power Party consolidates its core base and demonstrates strength will moderates follow. By diluting the core in an attempt to attract moderates, they risk losing conservatives and failing to gain moderates. The Democratic Party understands this well and is lulling the People Power Party with a "moderate drug" to self-destruct.

For the People Power Party, street protests are a last resort. However, without a narrative to anchor them, these efforts will be like a tempest in a teapot. The power of street protests does not stem from numbers or slogans, but from uniting anger into a single narrative. The release of Yoon Suk-yeol and the issue of fraudulent elections are precisely that story. The moment they turn away from this, the opposition party loses its reason for existence. It is not too late to turn back to the core of the narrative. It is still not too late.

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