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Jang Dong-hyuk, chair of the PPP’s Special Committee on Real Estate Policy Normalization (right), speaks during the committee’s inaugural meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul on October 22. / Photo by Song Ui-joo

Senior figures in the opposition People Power Party (PPP) are facing growing criticism for a series of controversies during the ongoing parliamentary audit season, raising concerns that the party is losing political momentum.

The uproar follows PPP Chairman Jang Dong-hyuk’s recent visit to former President Yoon Suk-yeol in prison and Supreme Council member Kim Min-soo’s claim that China’s “illegal funds” were behind the recent rise in South Korea’s KOSPI index.

Political analysts said the repeated controversies show that the party “has yet to sever ties with its far-right base,” warning that such rhetoric may end up benefiting the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).

According to political sources, both Jang and Kim have drawn sharp criticism from within and outside the party. Jang’s visit to Yoon last week at Seoul Detention Center and Kim’s continued references to alleged “Chinese interference” have been cited as key sources of friction.

On October 17, Jang met the imprisoned former president and later posted on social media that “even in difficult times, he prays for the country and urges unity in our fight.” Despite insisting the meeting had been “planned since the party convention,” Jang faced accusations of “backsliding toward far-right politics.”

Kim Min-soo, meanwhile, triggered further backlash after suggesting that China’s “illegal capital inflows” were responsible for the KOSPI’s recent rally. Appearing on a Channel A YouTube program, Kim claimed that “official statistics underestimate the amount of Chinese capital in the Korean market,” adding that “unregistered ghost companies are funneling illicit funds into Korea’s stock market and beyond.”

The DPK condemned his remarks as baseless and conspiratorial. Lawmaker Park Jumin wrote on Facebook that Kim’s claim was “so absurd it can’t even be called a conspiracy theory — it’s pure delusion.”

Experts say the PPP’s latest controversies risk reminding voters of the December 3 martial law crisis, which contributed to President Lee Jae-myung’s election victory. Choi Byung-chun, head of the New Growth Economy Institute, said, “The current PPP leadership not only fails to distance itself from the forces tied to that event but also seems to revive memories of it. This can only harm the opposition and give the ruling camp political leverage.”