People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, center, and opposition lawmakers chant with supporters Thursday at Olympic Park in Seoul. Photo by Asia Today
July 31 (Asia Today) — People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok declared that protesters had won after South Korea’s National Assembly approved a bill authorizing a special counsel investigation of the National Election Commission.
Jang and 15 lawmakers from the main opposition party joined citizens Thursday night at Olympic Park in southeastern Seoul. Participants called for a complete investigation of alleged election-management failures and broader changes to the country’s voting system.
“The citizens were right. The Olympic Park citizens won,” Jang told the crowd through a loudspeaker, bowing as he thanked them.
Jang said he had promised protesters Wednesday night that they would celebrate together after the special counsel bill passed.
“Now I can keep that promise,” he said.
The legislation requires the governing and opposition parties to agree on candidates for special counsel. The investigation is expected to examine a shortage of ballots during South Korea’s June 3 local elections and the National Election Commission’s handling of the incident.
Jang said the party would continue pushing to abolish early voting and overhaul the election commission and the broader electoral system.
“What moved the People Power Party was the voice of Olympic Park,” he said. “Please gather your strength so that a proper special counsel can be appointed.”
Jang called on supporters to return to Olympic Park on Aug. 15, South Korea’s Liberation Day.
“Just as your voices on July 17 produced the special counsel bill, the voices of Olympic Park on Aug. 15 will produce the appointment of the special counsel,” he said.
Supporters gave Jang flowers after the gathering and shouted words of encouragement. Some lawmakers remained at the park to take photographs with participants.
Lawmakers demand changes to early voting
The gathering included senior People Power Party officials and lawmakers ranging from first-term members to longtime legislators.
Five-term lawmaker Cho Bae-sook said some supporters considered the legislation insufficient but emphasized that its bipartisan nomination process could help produce an independent investigator.
“If someone capable of conducting a proper investigation is appointed, this could also lead to discussions about improving the early-voting system,” Cho said.
“Elections are called the flower of democracy,” she said. “The bill passed because you fought so hard. This is our victory, and we will continue fighting in the National Assembly.”
Lawmaker Park Chung-kwon described the occasion as a celebration. He said legislators attended the gathering even as the party prepared to continue a filibuster opposing separate legislation that would eliminate prosecutors’ authority to conduct supplementary investigations.
“We came here to share this joy with you and to pledge that we will fight with even greater determination,” Park said.
Lawmaker Lee Jin-sook credited the Olympic Park protesters with pressuring lawmakers to approve the investigation.
Lee also sharply criticized President Lee Jae-myung’s administration, claiming that its management of politics, the economy, foreign affairs and national security had failed.
Lawmaker Kim Jang-kyum said the party would work to ensure that the special counsel investigation proceeded without obstruction.
“Young people at Olympic Park give us confidence in the country’s future,” Kim said.
Lawmaker Kim Tae-kyu, who was preparing to participate in the filibuster, said the legislation could not have passed through the efforts of People Power Party lawmakers alone.
“The special counsel investigation will now begin,” Kim said. “You must continue applying pressure until the end so that the special counsel cannot pursue a different agenda and so that voting rights are protected.”
Four-term lawmaker Park Dae-chul said the investigation would effectively be led by the opposition despite the joint nomination process.
“We will work to make it a special counsel investigation that produces the results sought by the Olympic Park citizens and the public,” Park said.
Lawmaker Joo Jin-woo, wearing a sash reading “Who stole my vote?” called for a broad review of South Korea’s election system.
“The fight begins now,” Joo said. “We must thoroughly examine the election system and the National Election Commission and redesign them.”
Joo said investigators should examine not only the June local elections but also previous presidential and parliamentary elections if evidence of wrongdoing emerged.
No verified evidence establishing widespread fraud in those elections was presented at the gathering.
People Power Party Supreme Council member Kim Min-soo called the bill the first major result in a decade achieved through cooperation between the conservative party and its supporters.
When some participants interrupted speakers with competing chants, Kim urged the crowd to remain united despite internal differences.
People Power Party Secretary-General Chung Hee-yong said the opposition’s limited number of parliamentary seats made public support essential.
“The National Assembly ultimately operates according to the number of seats,” Chung said. “The public must make up for the seats we lack.”
He rejected descriptions of the protesters as extremists, calling them citizens concerned about South Korea’s future.
“We will continue conveying their voices under Jang’s leadership,” Chung said.
— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260731010011556
