PPP distances itself from Yoon ahead of elections

Mar 10, 2026, 08:53 am

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People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk and floor leader Song Eon-seok attend an emergency general meeting of lawmakers at the National Assembly on March 9. /Yonhap News

South Korea’s conservative People Power Party (PPP) formally rejected calls for former President Yoon Suk Yeol to return to politics, as party leaders moved to stabilize internal divisions ahead of the June 3 local elections.

During an emergency meeting of lawmakers on Monday, the party adopted a resolution in the name of all PPP legislators, apologizing again for the Dec. 3 martial law controversy and emphasizing party unity.

Reading the resolution after the meeting at the National Assembly, PPP floor leader Song Eon-seok said the party once again expressed regret to the public.

“We sincerely apologize once more to the people for the great confusion and disappointment caused by the wrongly declared Dec. 3 martial law,” Song said.

He also made clear that the party opposes any attempt to bring Yoon back into politics.

“We clearly oppose all claims demanding former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s political return,” Song said. “Neither South Korea nor the People Power Party can go back to the past. With the mindset of being reborn, we will resolutely move forward with the people toward the future.”

The resolution also called for an end to internal conflicts within the party, stressing the need for unity.

“We will stop all actions and remarks that escalate internal disputes and instead pursue grand unity,” Song said. “We will cut off any behavior that weakens the party’s ranks or ties the party to outdated political frames.”

At the same time, the PPP signaled it would maintain a strong stance against the current administration.

Song said restoring normal governance requires constitutional checks and balances between ruling and opposition parties, adding that the PPP would unite with citizens who support liberal democracy, judicial independence and constitutional values to counter what he described as the government’s excessive actions.

“We will bring together all citizens who care about the country to defend constitutional values and individual freedoms,” Song said. “And we will fight resolutely to secure victory in the upcoming June 3 local elections.”

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Song said the resolution reflected the collective agreement of attending lawmakers, including party leader Jang Dong-hyuk.

He added that while various opinions were expressed during the closed-door meeting, only points that gained consensus were included in the final statement.

Regarding references to former President Yoon, Song noted there was no separate vote on the wording.

“Former President Yoon has already left the party and has no connection with us,” he said. “We simply gathered the consensus of lawmakers to clearly oppose calls for his political return.”

#People Power Party #Yoon Suk Yeol #South Korea politics #local elections 2026 #party resolution