PPP’s street rallies expected to alienate swing voters ahead of local elections

People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, fifth from left, floor leader Song Eon-seok, sixth from left, and other PPP lawmakers and officials hold placards denouncing the ruling party at a rally in front of Dongdaegu Station in Daegu, Sunday. Yonhap

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) returned to street protests over the weekend for the first time in six years, staging a large rally against the Lee Jae Myung administration in Daegu, a conservative bastion in the southeast of the country. The move has drawn criticism from within the party, with some officials warning that reliance on street politics could alienate swing voters ahead of next year’s local elections.

PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok led the rally on Sunday in front of Dongdaegu Station, denouncing the president as oppressive and calling for his removal.

“We must put an end to Lee Jae Myung,” Jang said, while senior party official Kim Min-su declared, “If his trials resume, his election will be nullified.” Organizers claimed some 70,000 people attended, though participation from lawmakers representing the capital region was limited.

The event highlighted divisions within the party. Rep. Kim Jae-sub, a first-term lawmaker from northeastern Seoul, boycotted the rally and said on SBS Radio, “Street protests have little effect and do almost nothing to win back the center. Even if a rally is held in Seoul, I will not attend.” He warned that images of PPP leaders alongside banners reading “Yoon Again” and “Stop the Steal” would only reinforce negative perceptions among moderate voters.

Rep. Park Jeong-ha voiced similar concerns, telling a YouTube program that it was “too early” for the party to hold mass rallies without presenting credible alternatives. “Simply repeating calls to bring down Lee is not a persuasive message,” he said.

Party strategists argue that the rallies are necessary in order to demonstrate resistance to what they describe as the ruling party’s overreach. However, some lawmakers concede that the rallies could harm the PPP’s image among undecided voters.

“What we need is not another street protest, but a clear set of proposals on the economy, pensions and foreign policy,” one senior lawmaker said.

Experts have also questioned the effectiveness of the strategy. Eom Kyeong-young, a political commentator and director of President TV, said that the PPP “has not yet shed the image of being tied to insurrectionist forces in the eyes of centrist voters.” He added, “If street protests are Plan B, then the party needs a Plan A that offers centrist voters a compelling alternative.”

Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Cheong-rae, left, bangs the gavel during a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has sought to cast the rival camp’s street protests as a political boon. DPK leader Rep. Jung Chung-rae dismissed the demonstrations as a “tantrum,” calling them “the culmination of election deniers and extremists masquerading as an opposition movement.” Other party officials echoed the criticism, accusing the PPP of abandoning legislative responsibilities in favor of street politics.

Recent polls offered a mixed picture.

A Realmeter survey conducted over two days from Thursday put support for the DPK at 44.2 percent, with the PPP close behind at 38.6 percent. In contrast, a Gallup Korea poll released the same week showed support for the DPK at 41 percent and the PPP at 24 percent, highlighting the opposition’s ongoing struggle to broaden its base.

Despite the criticism, the PPP leadership has pledged to hold additional rallies in Daejeon, Incheon and Seoul later this month. However, with younger lawmakers openly refusing to participate and concerns mounting that the events only serve to rally the faithful, this strategy could become a liability if the party fails to change its approach.

The survey, commissioned by Realmeter, polled 1,004 adults nationwide from Thursday to Friday. It carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level. Additional details are available on the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission’s website.