Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, is making a statement regarding the first trial verdict of former President Yoon Suk-yeol at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on February 20. 2026.2.20 [Photo=Yonhap News]

Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, stated on the 2nd that President Lee Jae-myung's remarks in his March 1st Independence Movement Day address, "We will strive to respect the North Korean regime and transition the armistice regime into a peace regime," were "acts of security self-harm that isolate South Korea by losing trust from the United States and being perceived as an easy opponent by North Korea."

Speaking at a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly, Jang criticized it as "diplomatic bankruptcy that pushes the nation and its people to the brink."

He pointed out, "On the 28th of last month, the United States air-raided Iran and annihilated its leadership, thus impressing upon the world the fate of a dictatorial state clinging to nuclear weapons. This could be a preview of the future that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will face. This is not just a simple shift in the diplomatic landscape, but a geopolitical tsunami shaking the fate of the Korean Peninsula."

Jang stated, "The Lee Jae-myung administration is shaking the ROK-US alliance and collapsing our security by reducing ROK-US joint exercises and pursuing the restoration of no-fly zones. If we chase a mirage of hypocritical peace while ignoring the reality of global power competition and North Korea's advanced nuclear program, it will lead to irreversible security collapse."

He added, "What is more dangerous than diplomacy with impure intentions is diplomacy that misreads the terrain and timing. President Lee should withdraw his submissive North Korea policy before it's too late and shift the framework of state affairs to protecting the lives and safety of the people."

Meanwhile, regarding the Board of Audit and Inspection's findings that some "foreign substance vaccines" may have been administered during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jang urged President Lee to immediately dismiss Chung Eun-kyung, the former Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and current Minister of Health and Welfare.

He said, "Minister Chung is the mastermind of the 'defective vaccine cartel' and is also suspected of having invested in companies that profited from COVID-19, such as hand sanitizers, masks, and diagnostic kits. Minister Chung must be immediately dismissed, and all responsible parties must be held accountable through a thorough investigation."