Cho Kyung-tae’s Speech Met with Jeers of “Traitor” from Audience; Cho Claims “Yoon Betrayed Party Members”
Jeonjulgil Accepts ‘No Entry’ Rule, Continues ‘Yoon Again’ Campaign Outside
At the joint speeches held at BEXCO in Haeundae, Busan, on the 12th, candidates for the leadership of the People Power Party and top council members took vows to uphold fair competition. From left: Choi Soo-jin, Yang Hyang-ja, Kim Min-su (top council candidates), Cho Kyung-tae, Jang Dong-hyuk, Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Moon-soo (party leader candidates), Shin Dong-wook, Kim Geun-sik, Son Beom-gyu, Kim Jae-won, Kim Tae-woo (top council candidates), Park Hong-joon, Choi Woo-seong, Son Su-jo, Woo Jae-jun (young top council candidates). Busan | Han Soo-bin 기자
On the 12th, at the second joint speeches for the party leadership contest, candidates for the People Power Party called for “Impeach Lee Jae-myung” and “Cut Ties with Yoon Seok-yeol,” presenting contrasting stances. Candidates opposed to the impeachment (anti-impeachment group) emphasized strong resistance against the Democratic Party, while those in favor (pro-impeachment group) stressed internal reform.
At the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam joint speeches held at BEXCO, candidates of the anti-impeachment group stressed their movement against President Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party. Candidate Jang Dong-hyeok stated that “The Democratic Party must be dismantled, and Lee Jae-myung, who is destroying constitutional order with the Democratic Party at the forefront, must be brought to an impeachment trial.” He further remarked, “The Democratic Party’s legislative control of the judiciary and attempts to dismantle the prosecution under the guise of legal authority is like a disguised martial law.”
Kim Moon-soo, another candidate, echoed these sentiments, saying, “Shouldn’t we first dismantle the Democratic Party to protect the People Power Party?” and vowed to start a public petition demanding the continuation of trials for Lee Jae-myung if elected as party leader. He criticized Cho Kyung-tae for being involved in a rebellion probe, stating, “Collaborating in the rebellion special investigation and labeling our party as supporters of treason is internal sabotage.”
Pro-impeachment candidates focused on cutting ties with ex-President Yoon and the far-right “Yoon Again” faction to push for internal reform. Cho accused Yoon Seok-yeol of betraying party members and suggested, “Those who oppose Yoon’s impeachment and support claims of election fraud and Yoon Again must be ousted from the party.”
During Cho’s speech, some in the audience jeered, calling him a “traitor,” interrupting his address due to the commotion. It resumed only after the moderator repeatedly urged the crowd to calm down, warning that members and the public would be greatly disappointed.
Ahn Cheol-soo criticized anti-impeachment candidates, saying, “Despite calling for unity, they end up fawning over extreme factions supporting martial law and the Yoon Again camp, shamefully begging for votes.”
Jeon Han-gil, a far-right YouTuber who previously incited members by calling Kim Geun-sik a “traitor” at the joint speeches in Daegu-Gyeongbuk on the 8th, accepted the party leadership’s decision to bar him from the convention venue. He released a video from outside the convention site, continuing to push the “Yoon Again” narrative and expressing hope for the People Power Party to recover its status and restore Yoon’s honor.
Entry management at the convention was strictly enforced, with access granted only to those wearing wristbands or ID badges. Items that could cause disturbances, such as cheer tools and banners, were collected at the entrance, a measure likely prompted by Jeon’s previous incitement incident.