The PPP heads toward division, not broader appeal

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The PPP heads toward division, not broader appeal

Published: 30 Jan. 2026, 00:00

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Han Dong-hoon, former leader of the People Power Party, delivers a statement at the National Assembly press briefing room in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Jan. 29, addressing the party leadership’s decision to expel him. [NEWS1]

The leadership of the People Power Party (PPP) under Jang Dong-hyeok has finalized a decision to expel former party leader Han Dong-hoon over allegations related to opinion manipulation on an internal party message board, turning internal division into reality. Expulsion is the most severe disciplinary measure available to the party. Han has been stripped of his party membership and barred from rejoining for five years.

The stated grounds for the punishment were that members of Han’s family posted multiple messages criticizing former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife. Yet the decision was pushed through in a closed vote just 17 minutes into the first leadership meeting after Jang returned from an eight-day hunger strike, giving the impression that the ruling faction was moving to eliminate Han as a political rival. Han immediately responded by saying, “We are the owners of this party and of conservatism. We will return,” while lawmakers aligned with him demanded the resignation of the leadership, pushing the party’s internal strife to an extreme.

Power struggles and self-inflicted chaos within a political party are ultimately matters for that party to bear. But it is deeply troubling for the main conservative opposition party to slide toward an irreparable state. After succeeding in a change of government, the PPP suffered a crushing defeat in the 2024 general election amid persistent conflict between the party and the administration and allegations of corruption involving the core of power. Matters worsened with the impeachment of former President Yoon following his declaration of martial law and the ongoing trial on charges of insurrection. The party’s collapse to a point where it could no longer earn the support of moderates or even reasonable conservatives contributed to the emergence of a ruling party with an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly.

If the PPP hoped to play its role as an opposition force and restore its prospects of returning to power, it should have first brought an end to internal conflict and rebuilt itself as a reasonable conservative party. Instead, it remains consumed by struggles for party control and continues to be mired in factional disputes framed as pro-Yoon versus anti-Yoon. Such self-destructive infighting alienates not only moderates but also pragmatic conservatives who feel the need for a counterweight to the dominant ruling party. The party’s persistently low approval ratings reflect this reality.

The internal conflict is continuing even as local elections loom just four months away. Jang, who is pushing to change the party’s name, has yet to draw a clear line against hardline “Yoon Again” supporters, mindful of his core base. If electoral victory were the goal, the leadership should have sought to broaden support by backing Han, who opposed martial law and showed potential appeal to centrist and center-right voters. Instead, the party has chosen what critics call subtraction politics, inviting accusations that it is less interested in winning elections than in removing rivals for factional gain.

The current situation exposes a broader crisis in Korean democracy and conservative politics. Across parties, figures favored by hardline supporters are increasingly capturing leadership positions. The absence of a credible force to check the dominant ruling party raises the risk of one-sided governance and presidential overreach. If the PPP fails to reclaim its role as a conservative opposition party, it will face the public’s unforgiving demand for its exit, starting with the upcoming local elections.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.