People Power Party launches Situation Room, shifts to audit system... "Expose wrongdoings and propose alternatives"

Focusing fire on the Lee administration's trade negotiations and real estate policies... "We will become fighters for people's livelihoods"

People Power Party unveils the signboard for the Audit General Situation Room (Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Park Dong-ju = People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk and floor leader Song Eon-seok are clapping after unveiling the signboard for the Audit General Situation Room at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 10th. 2025.10.10 pdj6635@yna.co.kr

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporters Choi Pyeong-cheon, Kim Yu-a, Jo Da-un = The People Power Party will launch a full-scale offensive against the ruling party in the first state audit of the Lee Jae-myung administration, which begins next week, by prioritizing livelihood issues.

This is seen as a strategic move to enhance their presence as the main opposition party by highlighting their own diagnosis that the government and the Democratic Party are neglecting people's livelihoods due to their obsession with prosecutorial and judicial reforms, and by using the audit as an opportunity to present policy alternatives.

The People Power Party officially transitioned to a "livelihood audit" mode on the 10th, after the Chuseok holiday, by activating the Audit General Situation Room.

At the signboard unveiling ceremony for the Situation Room, leader Jang Dong-hyuk said, "The only thing the Lee Jae-myung administration is good at is not caring about people's livelihoods," adding, "We will show that we are a more competent opposition party than the ruling party, and all 107 lawmakers will become fighters for people's livelihoods."

Floor leader Song Eon-seok stated at a meeting on audit countermeasures held at the National Assembly, "The keynote of the audit is to prevent dictatorship and protect our lives," and vowed to "thoroughly investigate attempts to disrupt the judicial system, such as the problems of special prosecutor and indiscriminate political retaliation, and the ugly reality of the hastily carried out government organization reform."

Song Eon-seok emphasized, "We will expose the wrongdoings of the Lee Jae-myung administration, such as the surge in food prices due to debt-driven growth with cash handouts, the surge in exchange rates due to the deadlock in trade negotiations, and the surge in housing prices in the Seoul metropolitan area," and added, "We will also investigate the problem of the drive to promote low growth and present alternatives."

Kim Do-eup, chairman of the policy committee, criticized economic and real estate policies and urged the activation of a tripartite consultation body for people's livelihoods between the government, the ruling party, and the opposition.

Kim Do-eup pointed out, "If businesses shrink, investment, employment, and net profit will decrease, leading to a vicious cycle of further tax revenue reduction, so the direction of economic policy must be revised," and added, "Real estate measures also need fundamental revision."

He also said, "The Lee Jae-myung regime must abandon its solo run and create conditions for a people's livelihood economic consultation body to be activated," and vowed to "promptly form a special committee for region-customized real estate measures."

Jeong Hee-yong, the secretary-general, stated, "Above all, people's livelihoods come first," and added, "We will thoroughly expose and verify the wrongdoings resulting from the government's incompetence."

The People Power Party also formed a special committee on advanced industries such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI) on this day to discuss economic revitalization and the development of future growth industries.

Jang Dong-hyuk had previously proposed the formation of a tripartite consultation body between the government, the ruling party, and the opposition to resolve trade negotiation issues and introduce fiscal rules, pressuring the ruling party for cooperation and dialogue.

The People Power Party, which had focused on criticizing the ruling camp for unilaterally managing state affairs and the National Assembly since Jang Dong-hyuk took office, appears to have fine-tuned its strategy to a "two-track" approach of focusing on people's livelihoods and confronting the ruling party.

There is also an analysis that this move is intended to expand its appeal in an effort to rebound its approval ratings.

While the party had focused on highlighting its image as a "fighting opposition party," it faced strategic limitations as its approval ratings remained stuck in the mid-20% range in opinion polls.

A party official told Yonhap News in a phone call, "To appeal to the centrist voters, there is no other way than to demonstrate competence through policy initiatives," adding, "We will not ease our offensive, as the side effects of rising prices due to consumption coupons are starting to appear."