People Power Party boycotts presidential luncheon

President Lee Jae-myung held a luncheon meeting with leaders of ruling and opposition parties on Jan. 16, but the People Power Party did not attend. The party, led by Jang Dong-hyuk, had begun a sudden hunger strike the previous day demanding a special investigation into the Unification Church and alleged nomination-related bribes. The People Power Party said it could not attend the luncheon because the Democratic Party of Korea was pushing ahead with passage of the second comprehensive special investigation law in the National Assembly.

President Lee invited leaders of six political parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, the Reform Party and the Innovation Party, to the Blue House and urged them to work together on matters of foreign policy and national security in the national interest. With the main opposition refusing to participate, however, the meeting fell short of its purpose and amounted to little more than a partial gathering.

The People Power Party has repeatedly criticized the administration and the ruling party for what it calls unilateral rule in governance and legislation. On Jan. 16, Floor Leader Song Eon-seok demanded a presidential meeting to discuss the special investigation issue, urging the administration to listen to the opposition’s urgent demands. The luncheon could have provided an opportunity to raise these concerns directly with the president and draw a response. By refusing to attend, however, the party effectively relinquished that chance. Jang announced his hunger strike a day earlier, at a time when criticism within his own party was intensifying over the Ethics Committee’s decision to expel former leader Han Dong-hoon.

The Reform Party, which has also called for a special investigation into the Unification Church and alleged nomination-related bribes, took a different approach. Floor Leader Cheon Ha-ram staged a 19-hour overnight filibuster opposing the second special investigation law from the previous day into the morning of Jan. 16. He attended the luncheon in place of party leader Lee Jun-seok, who was overseas. In front of the president, Cheon urged him to veto the second special investigation law and approve a special investigation into the Unification Church and nomination bribes. The move reflected a more conventional and constructive approach for an opposition party seeking to check the government and the ruling party.

The People Power Party is confronting the hard reality of life as a minority party, trailing the ruling camp by a wide margin in both public support and parliamentary strength. In this position, the path forward is not withdrawal but engagement. A responsible opposition must actively seek dialogue with the president and the ruling party, demand sustained communication, and use those forums to narrow differences and offer workable alternatives. That is how an opposition earns public trust and political relevance. Refusing even the opportunity to speak directly with the president raises a fundamental question about whether the party is prepared to fulfill its role as an opposition at all.