What’s driving People Power Party’s first street rally in 6 years?

The main opposition People Power Party will hold a street rally Sunday to protest what it calls the ruling bloc’s push to control the judiciary, while seeking internal unity as several senior party members face legal scrutiny.

The rally is set for 2 p.m. at Dongdaegu Station Plaza in Daegu, a long-time conservative stronghold. The protest was confirmed during a party floor leadership meeting Friday.

At the center of the confrontation is the Democratic Party of Korea’s proposal to create a special tribunal to try those involved in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration. The proposed court would be composed of judges recommended by the National Assembly, the judiciary council and the Korean Bar Association.

“The Democratic Party’s political scheme, led by Rep. Jung Chung-rae, the party’s chair, is no longer just a struggle for influence over the judiciary. It poses a fundamental threat to the republic,” said People Power Party floor leader Rep. Song Eon-seog.

“On one side, they are shaking the chief justice and pressing the courts. On the other they’re pushing through unconstitutional legislation using their overwhelming majority, eroding the Constitution and the rule of law,” he added.

The protest also comes amid growing legal pressure on the People Power Party’s key lawmakers.

Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, a fifth-term lawmaker and former floor leader, was arrested Tuesday on charges of accepting 100 million won ($72,000) from the Unification Church.

Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, chair of the People Power Party, told reporters at the National Assembly, “The special counsel is detaining People Power Party lawmakers through a politically charged investigation aimed at shaping public opinion.”

“We will deeply reflect on how to fight back, and as a starting point, we will join our party members in Daegu for a strong protest,” he said Wednesday.

Prosecutors also suspect the church previously mobilized its members to enroll en masse in the People Power Party ahead of the March 2023 convention in an effort to support Kweon’s potential leadership bid.

At the time, Kweon had declared he would not run, and Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon was ultimately elected as party leader. Instead, Kweon later served as acting party leader in December 2024, following the resignation of then-chair Han Dong-hoon after Yoon’s failed martial law declaration.

Reps. Na Kyung-won and Song Eon-seog, fifth- and third-term lawmakers, respectively, are also under legal pressure. Prosecutors have demanded a two-year prison term for Na and 10 months for Song for their roles in a 2019 standoff at the National Assembly.

Na and Song were accused of confining former lawmaker Chae Yi-bae of the then-Barunmirae Party in his office to prevent him from voting in favor of fast-tracked bills, which would establish a new electoral system and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials.

The CIO, which was eventually etablished, had long been part of the DP’s plans to reduce the power of state prosecutors.

Na and Song were indicted in January 2020, and the People Power Party held a street protest at the time in opposition to the charges.

In the legislature, the People Power Party is also preparing to push back against what it sees as the Democratic Party’s unilateral drive to pass key bills.

Among them is a government reorganization bill set for a Sept. 25 vote, which includes the abolition of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and replacement with separate bodies for its investigation and prosection functions.

Although filibusters are capped at 24 hours per bill under current law, filing multiple motions could prolong them for several days.

The party is also considering submitting a motion to impeach President Lee Jae Myung, citing remarks that suggested the legislature's authority was above that of the judiciary.

When asked at a recent press conference whether the special tribunal proposal violated the separation of powers, Lee also said the judiciary, as an unelected body, must operate within the framework set by the elected legislature — a comment the People Power Party says undermines constitutional separation of powers.

Meanwhile, the People Power Party leadership is distancing Sunday’s rally from overt associations with former President Yoon.

In a notice to local chapters, the party instructed that only placards aligned with the protest’s official message would be allowed — a move widely seen as an attempt to block slogans often used by Yoon supporters, such as “Yoon Again.”

“This rally is strictly about opposing the Democratic Party’s one-party dominance. It has nothing to do with ‘Yoon Again,’” a People Power Party official told Yonhap News Agency.

“While we can’t filter every attendee, the leadership does not endorse or sympathize with those claims.”