Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, delivers his opening remarks at a press conference for foreign correspondents hosted by the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 8th. [Photo=Yonhap News]

Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, pointed out at a press conference hosted by the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club (SFCC) on the 8th at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, that "many citizens are concerned that the ROK-US alliance is crumbling due to the Lee Jae-myung administration, and that we are deviating from the free world camp."

He stated, "President Lee called for ROK-US troops in Korea as foreign troops, unnecessarily relying on foreign armies, and is hastily pushing for the transition of wartime operational control. The Democratic Party has unilaterally passed laws for judicial control, such as the four-trial system, increasing the number of Supreme Court justices, the crime of distorting laws, and specialized trial divisions," adding, "These are all unconstitutional and anti-democratic laws."

Regarding the Lee Jae-myung administration's pro-China policy, he diagnosed, "The administration is adopting a submissive stance towards North Korea and placing more emphasis on China, such as allowing unlimited visa-free entry for Chinese citizens."

Furthermore, Representative Jang criticized, "While Japan maintains diplomatic relations by aligning with the US stance, South Korea's position differs from that of the US and Japan and appears ambiguous. The administration must consider whether we can firmly maintain ROK-US-Japan cooperation when we need the help of Japan and the United States."

On the 20th of last month, after returning from an 8-day, 10-night trip to the United States, Representative Jang assessed himself, "I have returned after establishing a hotline to support the faltering ROK-US alliance." In response, the Democratic Party disparaged it as "a diplomatic disaster by the leader of the main opposition party, who abandoned the June 3rd local elections." Who is truly right?

Representative Jang's trip to the US was initially announced as a 2-day, 3-night schedule. However, he departed three days earlier than planned, changing the schedule to 5 days and 7 nights, and then extended it again to 8 days and 10 nights. This led to criticism from the leftists, who accused him of abandoning the local elections altogether and launched a barrage of attacks on Representative Jang.

Well, if the People Power Party loses the June 3rd local elections, it will be the end of Representative Jang's political career on that day. Isn't this an outrageous accusation?

As Representative Jang departed for the United States, he stated, "For the purpose of building networks." The leader of the main opposition party was invited by the International Republican Institute (IRI). I understand this is the first time the IRI has invited the leader of a major political party in the Republic of Korea.

Furthermore, just two days after Representative Jang left for the United States to build networks, "Michelle Steel," a former House of Representatives member, was appointed as the US Ambassador to Korea. It seems too coincidental to dismiss as mere chance. Appointing a former co-chair of the Trump administration's Asian American and Pacific Islander Advisory Council as ambassador during a trip by an opposition party leader to build networks, rather than an official partner of the US government, I consider this a gift from Trump to the Republic of Korea.

It is unusual for the US State Department to summon Representative Jang, who was on his way home after completing his 5-day, 7-night trip to the US, and officially extend his schedule. Is it just my imagination that the ROK-US alliance, which was completely on the verge of collapse 10 months after the birth of the dictatorial Lee Jae-myung administration, is being restored one by one?

Legacy media outlets have dismissed his trip as an "8-day, 10-night visit empty-handed, unable to disclose whom he met," but I believe this is on a different level compared to Prime Minister Kim Han-sik, who awkwardly met with Vice President Pence. This is because there are also reports of Representative Jang Dong-hyuk engaging in marathon diplomacy with members of the MAGA group.

Until recently, Representative Jang Dong-hyuk was a novice politician in his first term. However, after completing his 8-day, 10-night trip to the US, he is now as assertive as to be able to slap Lee Jae-myung across the face.

There are also reports that indictments are imminent for 12 US Election Assistance Commission employees who led the alleged fraud in the 2020 US presidential election. If the injunction requested by the US Election Assistance Commission employees is dismissed, investigations into A-WEB, South Korea, the host country for election fraud, will be unavoidable, according to domestic and international public opinion. The possibility of "Yoon-again" becoming a reality cannot be ruled out.

※ External columns may not align with the editorial direction of this publication.

◆ Poet of the Remote Region, Kim Jin-ho

He is active as a poet, freelance writer, and environmental activist. He has served as the director of the Daejeon Municipal Yeonjeong Gugak Center and as an advisor to Daejeon University and Chungcheongnam-do Province. He has published three poetry collections, including the poetry column collection 'The Foolish Bird Albatross'. 'Poet of the Remote Region' is his pen name and stage name.