On the morning of February 20, 2026, the usually staid halls of South Korea’s National Assembly buzzed with rare intensity. Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the conservative People Power Party (PPP), stood before a packed press conference, his expression unflinching as he addressed the political earthquake that had struck just a day prior: the life sentence handed down to former President Yoon Seok-yeol for leading an insurrection related to the December 3 emergency martial law.
Jang’s response was swift but hardly conciliatory. Rather than distancing himself or his party from the disgraced former president, he doubled down on a principle he said must apply to all: “It is only a first trial decision. The presumption of innocence must be applied to everyone without exception.” According to Yonhap Infomax, Jang lamented, “It is regrettable and tragic,” but he refused to join calls from within his own party to sever ties with Yoon. That refusal, and his broader defense of the PPP’s traditional position—namely, that martial law does not equate to insurrection—set off a political firestorm.
Jang’s critics, both inside and outside the party, wasted no time. Factions known as the “pro-Han Dong-hoon” camp and so-called reformists erupted, accusing Jang of sowing division by refusing to break with Yoon. Jang, for his part, fired back that “repeating calls for apology and severance is sowing the seeds of division,” adding, “Those who use the president’s name for their own benefit, those who try to split the party by pushing for severance with the president—these are the ones we must truly sever ties with.”
Former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon, expelled from the party and now a vocal critic, took to Facebook to call for Jang’s ouster: “Jang Dong-hyuk must be cut off for conservative restoration. Otherwise, conservatism will die.” Han charged that Jang was “merely a host for Yoon’s faction,” and accused him of sacrificing the party for his own political survival. “If Jang Dong-hyuk cuts off Yoon Seok-yeol, conservatism can survive, but he cannot. He is selling out the party and conservatism just to save himself.”
Other party members echoed Han’s outrage. Lawmaker Han Ji-ah declared, “Our party must sever ties with Jang Dong-hyuk, who defends insurrection.” Park Jeong-ha, another PPP lawmaker, expressed his dismay, saying, “It’s appalling. I always knew our party leader was a J, but now I’m not sure if he’s Jang or Jeon.” This was a jab referencing YouTuber Jeon Han-gil, seen as a symbol of hardline Yoon supporters. The underlying accusation: Jang was pandering to the party’s most extreme base, rather than reaching out to moderates ahead of the crucial June 3 local elections.
Jang, however, was undeterred. He called on the party’s hardline supporters to unite under the PPP banner, urging, “If you truly want to protect the Republic of Korea, gather under the People Power Party flag and combine your strength. All answers lie in winning the election. Only by winning can we protect what we value.”
But the uproar wasn’t confined to the PPP’s internal factions. The opposition Democratic Party (DP) and the Justice Innovation Party (JIP) immediately seized on Jang’s stance. DP leader Jeong Cheong-rae thundered, “It’s shocking. Is Jang Dong-hyuk the spokesman for Yoon Seok-yeol or are they one and the same?” The DP’s Han Byung-do, Choo Mi-ae, Kim Yong-min, and others publicly called for Jang’s resignation and even the dissolution of the PPP, labeling it a “party complicit in insurrection.” JIP leader Cho Kuk joined the chorus, arguing on Facebook, “There is only one conclusion: the People Power Party must be dissolved or judged.”
The Reform New Party (RNP) also weighed in. Senior spokesperson Lee Dong-hoon criticized Jang for “choosing severance from the people instead of from an insurrectionist,” and argued that hiding behind the presumption of innocence was merely a way to shirk political responsibility. “Repeating legal jargon in the face of what the whole nation has witnessed is closer to evasion than persuasion,” Lee said, as reported by Daegu Ilbo.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, a prominent PPP figure, broke ranks with Jang in a sharply worded Facebook post. “Clinging stubbornly to a position disconnected from the majority’s sentiment will never win the love and support of the people,” Oh wrote, emphasizing that “conservatism must protect the community, not just an individual.” He criticized Jang’s reliance on the ‘Yoon Again’ faction, warning that such a narrow focus would fail to persuade moderates and future generations. “The People Power Party is not built on one person’s political line, but has led both industrialization and democratization in Korea,” Oh stated, urging the party to return to responsible, community-focused politics.
Jang’s press conference itself was finalized only 40 minutes before it began, despite internal opposition from party leadership. Some within the PPP reportedly warned that criticizing the court’s verdict could be seen as defiance of judicial authority, but Jang pressed ahead, supported by his hardline allies.
Throughout his remarks, Jang maintained that the court’s ruling lacked sufficient explanation to overturn the longstanding argument that martial law was not equivalent to insurrection. “The first trial did not provide enough grounds or explanation to overturn this position,” he insisted. “A verdict without conviction inevitably shows tremors of conscience. The logical flaws found throughout the judgment are, I believe, the last traces of Judge Ji Gui-yeon’s conscience.” Jang even accused the DP of perpetrating a “silent insurrection” through legislative overreach, suggesting their actions in paralyzing the executive branch were “not so different from insurrection.”
Yet, the PPP’s internal rift only deepened. Some lawmakers and party officials, including those aligned with Han Dong-hoon, demanded Jang’s resignation or at least a clear break from Yoon. Others feared that aligning too closely with Yoon’s base—the so-called ‘Yoon Again’ supporters—would doom the party in the upcoming local elections, especially in regions outside the conservative stronghold of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province.
Meanwhile, the opposition’s calls for the PPP’s dissolution grew louder. DP lawmakers argued that defending Yoon amounted to condoning insurrection and that the party should face legal proceedings for violating the constitution. “The People Power Party has made itself a clear target for constitutional review,” said DP spokesperson Park Soo-hyun. Calls for Jang’s resignation and even for his retirement from politics echoed across social media and the National Assembly.
As the dust settled, one thing was clear: Jang’s gamble—rejecting a break with Yoon and doubling down on the presumption of innocence—had thrown his party into unprecedented turmoil. With the June 3 local elections looming, the PPP now faces an existential test: can it unite and rebuild, or will its internal divisions and controversial loyalties prove fatal at the ballot box?