Ousted party leader criticizes President Yoon, his aides again

A crowd is watching as Lee Jun-seok, the former chairman of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), criticizes President Yoon Suk-yeol and the PPP during a press conference in Daegu, Sunday. Yonhap

Lee Jun-seok calls ruling party's new interim committee 'unconstitutional'

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Lee Jun-seok, the ousted chairman of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), urged residents of the southeastern city of Daegu to stand up to the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, insisting that the party is heading in the wrong direction.

"I'm standing here now to urge you, citizens of Daegu City, to once again pick up the bamboo stick of rebuke. Show them that you can actually judge them. I urge you to say to them that you won't keep silent just because of their silence, and that Daegu will not tacitly endorse their tacit accord," he said. "I'm standing here today to criticize Daegu's political culture and demand change and an awakening."

Daegu has been a stronghold city for the conservative PPP for a long time. In the March 9 presidential election, President Yoon received sweeping support from the residents with over 70 percent of the votes. The warm welcome to President Yoon during his recent visit to Daegu's Seomun Market, considered a "conservative holy land," shows the city's historical political orientation.

Without revealing their names, he criticized a group of PPP lawmakers who allegedly persecuted what he called "courageous" fellow lawmakers who have different views.

"There is a group of people there who try to manipulate others and call a deer a horse, and want others to do the same. But there are also a few others who challenge them and say they are wrong. If they do, the bullies add pressure on them, forcing them to follow what they say," Lee said.

Hundreds of his supporters gathered there, cheering for Lee whenever he criticized President Yoon and the ruling party.

Lee met them as part of his efforts to rally support from grassroots party members to put pressure on the ruling party to reverse its course of action. Lee has been pitted against the party since he was first suspended from party affairs for six months, and then ousted after an interim committee was set up and fifth-term lawmaker Rep. Joo Ho-young, representing Daegu's Suseong District, was elected as an interim leader. The court later suspended Joo from the leadership post.

While assailing the PPP and President Yoon, Lee tried to curry favor with his support base ― males in their 20s ― by addressing their shared concern about the defense ministry's alleged plan to survey the public on whether the seven members of boy band BTS deserve military service exemptions or not.

He criticized the defense ministry for using taxpayers' money to benefit the singers.

Lee has become a harsh critic from within the PPP.

The standoff over the party's leadership is expected to end sooner or later, as three key cases will be concluded after the Chuseok holiday. The court will likely rule on Lee's injunction regarding the PPP's new interim committee, which was formed after the court nullified its previous interim committee. The police reportedly plan to wrap up their investigation into allegations that Lee received sexual services twice in July and August 2013 in return for political favors from a now-jailed businessman. Lee denied the allegations.

The PPP's ethics committee will likely slap another sanction on Lee for his "inappropriate" characterizations of the PPP and its members. He has likened President Yoon Suk-yeol to Chun Doo-hwan, the dictator who rose to power through the Dec. 12, 1979 military coup and declaring emergency martial law, sarcastically calling Yoon "the supreme one." He also called the PPP "cheaters" that are as bad as a butcher who fraudulently sells dog meat passed off as lamb meat.

His strong-worded criticism against his party drew the ire of some PPP members, who demanded that the party's ethics committee hit Lee with another sanction for his divisive actions.

Lee's defiant actions came as the PPP is preparing to launch the new interim committee on Thursday, a day before the holiday long weekend.

The PPP revised the rules on its decision-making Supreme Council and party leadership. According to the revised rules, the Supreme Council will be dismissed and lose its power as the party's decision-making body, if four out of five elected council members quit, and an interim committee will be formed to take over its function. It further states that once an interim committee is formed, the current party leader will be unseated as chairperson.

Lee called the party's new interim committee "unconstitutional."

PPP lawmakers will meet on Monday to vote on the revised rules. If approved, the party will launch an interim committee three days later.

The revision of the PPP's rules came after the court ruled against its decision earlier to form an interim committee and name Rep. Joo as an interim leader. Lee had filed an injunction against the party's decision, weeks after its ethics committee suspended him from party affairs for six months. The court sided with Lee and suspended Rep. Joo from the leadership post.

Lee Jun-seok, former chairman of the ruling People Power Party, speaks at a press conference held at Kim Gwang-seok Street Concert Hall in Daegu on Sunday. Yonhap