Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, leaves the 46th anniversary memorial ceremony of the 5·18 Democracy Movement held in Gwangju on May 18. [Photo=Yonhap News]
Jang Dong-hyuk, the leader of the People Power Party, attended the 46th anniversary memorial ceremony for the 5·18 Democracy Movement for the first time since taking office. After the event, he left without making any comments, but criticized President Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party on his Facebook page, claiming they are undermining the spirit of the 5·18 movement.
Jang attended the ceremony held at the 5·18 Democracy Square in Gwangju. While he remained silent during the event, he posted on Facebook before and after, targeting President Lee and the Democratic Party.
He stated, "While President Lee and the Democratic Party proclaim the spirit of 5·18, they are actually undermining it," adding, "For them, 5·18 is not a value to uphold but merely a tool for expanding their power."
He pointed to issues such as the expansion of Supreme Court justices, the introduction of a four-tier judicial system, dedicated trial courts, and the crime of distorting the law, labeling them as "unconstitutional evils rarely seen in a normal liberal democracy." He criticized the 'special investigation into the dismissal of charges' as a declaration of the end of liberal democracy.
After the ceremony, he reiterated on Facebook, "The commemorative speech read by President Lee at the 5·18 Democracy Square felt unfamiliar and inappropriate," stating, "I could not applaud even once."
Following the memorial, Jang quickly left the venue in a car. This ceremony was his only public schedule for the day. In contrast, Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheong-rae and other party leaders participated in activities such as paying respects at the 5·18 cemetery and holding a central election committee meeting at the site.
Jang attended the ceremony held at the 5·18 Democracy Square in Gwangju. While he remained silent during the event, he posted on Facebook before and after, targeting President Lee and the Democratic Party.
He stated, "While President Lee and the Democratic Party proclaim the spirit of 5·18, they are actually undermining it," adding, "For them, 5·18 is not a value to uphold but merely a tool for expanding their power."
He pointed to issues such as the expansion of Supreme Court justices, the introduction of a four-tier judicial system, dedicated trial courts, and the crime of distorting the law, labeling them as "unconstitutional evils rarely seen in a normal liberal democracy." He criticized the 'special investigation into the dismissal of charges' as a declaration of the end of liberal democracy.
After the ceremony, he reiterated on Facebook, "The commemorative speech read by President Lee at the 5·18 Democracy Square felt unfamiliar and inappropriate," stating, "I could not applaud even once."
Following the memorial, Jang quickly left the venue in a car. This ceremony was his only public schedule for the day. In contrast, Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheong-rae and other party leaders participated in activities such as paying respects at the 5·18 cemetery and holding a central election committee meeting at the site.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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