Jang Dong-hyuk Calls for Nationwide Re-elections; Oh Se-hoon Urges End to 'Political Slogans for Self-Preservation'

[Anchor]

Following the ballot shortage incident, People Power Party (PPP) leader Jang Dong-hyuk has called for nationwide re-elections, sparking backlash within his own party. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has criticized the move, telling him to stop using slogans aimed at preserving his own position.

Reporter Park Chan-beom has the story.

[Reporter]

The camp of PPP leader Jang Dong-hyuk decided to file an election appeal with the National Election Commission (NEC) during an emergency Supreme Council meeting on June 15, explicitly stating that the goal of the appeal is a "re-election."

In contrast, it was reported that immediately after the meeting, floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik told Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon during a phone call that the appeal was intended to "have the NEC determine whether the incident in Songpa-gu, Seoul, affected the outcome of the Seoul mayoral election."

[Jeong Jeom-sik / PPP Floor Leader: We decided to file the appeal based on the belief that carefully examining how the infringement of voting rights affected the election results aligns with the principles of a fair election.]

This suggests the goal is not a "full-scale re-election." Perhaps for this reason, Mayor Oh's side initially stated on June 15 that they would "wait and see."

However, after leader Jang posted on social media that "the goal is a nationwide re-election," Mayor Oh directly targeted Jang yesterday, saying, "Stop using slogans for self-preservation."

[Oh Se-hoon / Mayor of Seoul: (Jang Dong-hyuk's remarks) are a highly political maneuver, conscious of his shaky leadership and weak standing within the party.]

The claim is that Jang is pushing for a re-election for political purposes to counter demands for his resignation.

A two-term PPP lawmaker told SBS, "It seems Jang is calculating to absorb the 2030 conservative vote that is demanding a re-election, with an eye on future power struggles within the party."

Jang responded by stating that he has never discussed the re-election issue with Mayor Oh, adding the following:

[Jang Dong-hyuk / PPP Leader (Munhwa Ilbo YouTube 'Heo Min's News Show'): There may be differences of opinion, but this is a matter of principle.]

The Democratic Party of Korea condemned the PPP leader's election appeal for a re-election, stating, "They are trying to invalidate even the legitimate votes of all citizens."

[Han Byung-do / Democratic Party Floor Leader: It is a self-contradiction to trample on the very voting rights of the people they have been shouting about. Immediately withdraw these 'no-questions-asked' appeals and conspiracy theory incitement.]

The ruling and opposition parties have agreed to process the plan for a parliamentary investigation into the NEC at the National Assembly plenary session tomorrow, June 18.

The special committee for the investigation will be composed of an equal number of nine members from both the ruling and opposition parties, with a member of the People Power Party serving as the chairperson.

(Reported by Lee Seung-hwan and Shin Dong-hwan | Video edited by Park Sun-soo | Graphics by Jo Soo-in)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.