Jang’s hunger strike rallies conservatives, Han sidelined

Jan 23, 2026, 07:57 am

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Former President Park Geun-hye (right) visits the hunger strike site of Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, on Jan. 22, as he enters his eighth day of fasting to demand special prosecutors into the Unification Church and alleged Democratic Party nomination bribery. Jang later accepted Park’s recommendation to stop the fast and was taken to hospital. / Photo by Lee Byeong-hwa

As Jang Dong-hyuk’s hunger strike emerges as a rallying point for conservatives, the political space for former party leader Han Dong-hoon is shrinking.

The consolidation around Jang is hardening quickly, while Han—who has not joined the movement—appears increasingly constrained. On Jan. 22, former President Park Geun-hye, a symbolic figure for conservatives, visited Jang’s hunger strike site set up at the National Assembly rotunda. Holding his hands, she urged him to stop fasting. Jang, who had been lying in the tent due to exhaustion, sat up and agreed.

Jang later said he would end the fast “for a longer and bigger fight,” adding that public outrage over what he called the corruption of the Lee Jae-myung administration and the Democratic Party of Korea would “ignite like wildfire.” As he left the site in a wheelchair, lawmakers and supporters applauded and shouted encouragement.

Over the past week, figures across conservative lines—including Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min—visited the site, even those previously at odds with Jang’s political stance. The steady stream of visits has elevated the fast beyond a personal protest into a visible moment of conservative consolidation.

Jang’s standing has also shifted. Inside and outside the party, he is increasingly described as a leader “protecting the party.” His willingness to confront the government head-on through the fast appears to have energized supporters, softening the skepticism seen at the outset. Supreme Council member Yang Hyang-ja said on a YouTube political program that conservatives are “fully uniting around Jang.”

As unity around Jang becomes clearer, attention has turned to Han. Despite facing an upcoming disciplinary review tied to the “party members’ bulletin board” controversy, Han did not visit the hunger strike site.

Within the party, many say the moment has passed. “While the hunger strike functioned as a political focal point, his absence inevitably becomes a burden,” a political source said, adding that “even if he speaks now, it will be difficult to change the tide.”

Political commentator Park Sang-byeong said Jang’s fast has clearly consolidated conservative supporters and helped pause internal party conflict, while cautioning that broader outreach to moderates would require deeper changes.

#Jang Dong-hyuk #Han Dong-hoon #People Power Party #hunger strike #conservative unity