SEOUL, June 03 (AJP) - South Korea's main opposition leader Jang Dong-hyeok launched a sharp election-day attack against President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday, accusing him of illegal campaigning and severe economic mismanagement. Speaking during a final election committee meeting at the National Assembly, the conservative leader urged voters to cast their ballots as an act of constitutional self-defense against the government.
The address underscored the bitter polarization surrounding the nationwide local elections and parliamentary by-elections, which serve as a critical midterm referendum on the one-year-old presidency. A strong showing for the opposition could block the administrative momentum of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, while a loss threatens to trigger immediate internal disputes over political accountability.
Jang asserted that the president committed serious legal violations that warrant impeachment. The former prosecutor specifically claimed that Lee allegedly displayed a marked ballot to television cameras.
The opposition leadership also linked the political standoff to broader economic anxieties, arguing that the administration prioritized political survival over public livelihoods. The former prosecutor warned that unchecked government policies would worsen financial conditions, creating what he described as a difficult environment of high interest rates, high inflation, and volatile exchange rates.
Pointing to the high voter turnout reported throughout the day, the People Power Party interpreted the long lines at polling stations as a sign of public dissatisfaction. Jang told supporters that staying away from the polls was equivalent to surrendering personal property, wages, and fundamental freedoms.
People Power Party chief spokesperson Park Sung-hoon stated that voters intent on protecting their daily routines would continue to drive participation until the polls closed.
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