Democratic Party chief slams PPP over boycott of amendment vote

May 08, 2026, 10:13 am

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Democratic Party chief Jung Chung-rae speaks during the party's supreme council meeting held at the campaign office of Songpa District mayoral candidate Cho Jae-hee in Seoul’s Songpa District on May 8. /Yonhap

Jung Chung-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized the conservative People Power Party on Thursday for boycotting a parliamentary vote on a constitutional amendment proposal, urging the opposition to reconsider its stance.

Speaking at a party leadership meeting in Seoul’s Songpa District, Jung said the amendment bill had been introduced during Wednesday’s plenary session but the vote failed to proceed because of what he described as the People Power Party’s “cowardly absence.”

“It is regrettable,” Jung said. “The National Assembly will attempt another vote on constitutional reform today. I hope they will think more constructively.”

He also urged the conservative party not to become “a party that is ashamed before history,” adding that such actions were fueling calls for a constitutional review of the party’s legality.

Jung also criticized the judiciary over the appeals court ruling involving former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who on Wednesday received a 15-year prison sentence, eight years less than the original sentence, over charges related to alleged insurrection activities.

“He served as a public official for 50 years, and that was cited as grounds for a reduced sentence,” Jung said. “Rather than a lighter sentence, this was a case that deserved even harsher punishment.”

He went on to criticize the judiciary led by Cho Hee-dae, saying, “There are serious problems within the Cho Hee-dae judiciary.”

At the same time, Jung said the court’s ruling at least confirmed that the declaration of emergency martial law constituted insurrection and that Han had been identified as a key participant.

He called on the People Power Party to withdraw what he described as “forced claims” denying the insurrection allegations and demanded that its lawmakers gather at the National Assembly to issue a public apology.

#Jung Chung-rae #Democratic Party of Korea #People Power Party #constitutional amendment