Ruling party snubs Jang’s sixth-day hunger strike

Jan 21, 2026, 07:48 am

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People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk looks at congratulatory flower baskets while continuing a hunger strike at the National Assembly Rotunda in Seoul on Jan. 20. / Lee Byung-hwa

People Power Party (PPP) leader Jang Dong-hyuk continued his hunger strike for a sixth consecutive day on Jan. 20, but the leadership of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea has yet to visit the protest site, dismissing the action as lacking justification.

Jang has been staging the hunger strike at the National Assembly Rotunda, urging the Democratic Party to accept what he calls a “dual special prosecutor” proposal related to alleged wrongdoing involving the Unification Church and alleged bribery in party nominations.

Speaking to reporters outside the National Assembly, Jang said, “Something is changing. There will be change,” likening the situation to judicial proceedings in which repeated refusal to answer questions can be taken as an admission. He added that if the Democratic Party continues to remain silent despite his extreme action, the public may view that silence itself as an admission.

Within the PPP, criticism has grown over what members describe as the ruling party’s lack of even minimal moral consideration. PPP Secretary-General Jung Hee-yong accused Democratic Party leader Jung Cheong-rae of belittling the hunger strike by questioning its legitimacy. PPP lawmaker Park Soo-young warned that a hunger strike could be life-threatening, stressing that Jang began the protest in an effort to “clean up politics.”

Traditionally, ruling party leaders have visited opposition leaders engaged in hunger strikes, but Democratic Party officials have stayed away this time. The party argues that the PPP is using Jang’s protest as a pretext to boycott parliamentary committee schedules.

Democratic Party floor operations chief Cheon Jun-ho said the PPP’s actions amount to excessive obstruction of National Assembly work, adding that even within the PPP there are doubts about the hunger strike’s legitimacy.

Observers inside and outside politics say the episode highlights the erosion of dialogue and compromise. Jeon Byung-hun, leader of the New Future Democratic Party, criticized what he described as mocking responses from the ruling party, saying South Korean politics has become increasingly regressive and polarized.

#Jang Dong-hyuk #hunger strike #People Power Party #Democratic Party #special prosecutor bill