Hunger Strike Escalates Clash over New Probes

Opposition accuses ruling party of blocking new probes as political tensions rise, and opposition leader begins hunger strike

Chosun Ilbo, the large South Korean daily newspaper, brought on 15^th January a news report titled “Jang Dong-hyuk: ‘I Will Begin a Hunger Strike Urging Acceptance of Special Prosecutor Probes into Nomination Bribes and the Unification Church’” (translated from Korean)

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This is by many regarded as South Korean politics entering another phase of confrontation. Jang Dong-hyuk (장동혁) is the leader of the conservative People Power Party (PPP). He announced that he would begin a hunger strike to pressure the National Assembly to approve special prosecutor investigations into alleged political corruption. His statement was made during a protest rally at the National Assembly complex in Seoul, organized to condemn what opposition parties described as the ruling Democratic Party of Korea’s (DPK) unilateral handling of special prosecutor legislation.

The logic behind the hunger strike appears to be Jang Dong-hyuk attempting to dramatize what he describes as a refusal to allow full transparency when politically powerful governing party figures may be at risk. The People Power Party (PPP), the Reform Party, and allied opposition figures argue that the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) opposes the two proposed special prosecutor probes precisely because they could implicate DPK lawmakers and senior figures. Basically, the opposition frames the DPK’s resistance as self-protective ‒ a way to limit political fallout rather than a principled objection.

According to the Chosun Ilbo report, at the center of the dispute are two proposed new investigations. The first concerns alleged “nomination donations”, meaning illicit money allegedly exchanged in return for favorable treatment during party candidate selection processes. The second involves claims that politicians across party lines may have received funds or other benefits from the Family Federation ‒ by many still called by its former name the Unification Church ‒ during several years when Yoon Yeong-ho (윤영호) held a leading position within the religious organization.

Supporters of the investigations argue that these issues warrant independent scrutiny through special prosecutors, who in South Korea are appointed outside the regular prosecutorial system to investigate politically sensitive cases.

PPP leader Jang stated that he would begin his hunger strike at the exact moment another opposition lawmaker, Cheon Ha-ram (천하람) of the minor Reform Party, launched a filibuster in the National Assembly chamber. By choosing the Rotunda Hall ‒ symbolically described as a place “where the voices of the people gather” ‒ Jang sought to frame his protest as a moral appeal rather than a purely procedural tactic. Hunger strikes have a long history in South Korean politics and activism, often used to dramatize claims that normal democratic mechanisms are being blocked.

Chosun Ilbo writes that Jang in his remarks accused the DPK not only of rejecting the special prosecutor bills, but of doing so out of fear that investigations would expose corruption within its own ranks. He claimed that if certain seized phones and records were fully examined, they would implicate senior Democratic Party figures and even former presidential officials. He further alleged that an investigation into a former cabinet minister would reveal a broader pattern of politicians receiving money from the Family Federation. These claims remain allegations, but they form the core of the opposition’s argument that independent investigations are necessary precisely because ordinary prosecutorial processes may be politically constrained.

For those unfamiliar with South Korean politics, it is important to understand that special prosecutors have been overused in recent years as political weapons, often driven by the wish to damage rivals rather than uncover truth. Even though the governing Democratic Party itself instigated large investigation led by special prosecutors it appointed, party leaders are now claiming that existing prosecutors and oversight institutions are sufficient, and that repeated special investigations undermine institutional stability. Critics, however, counter that prosecutors themselves are subject to political pressure, making special prosecutors essential in cases involving powerful figures.

Opposition figures like Jang frame the DPK’s position differently. They argue that the ruling party dropped or blocked the investigations because it anticipates severe political damage if the probes proceed. According to this view, the DPK fears that even the process of investigation ‒ regardless of eventual findings ‒ could erode public trust and threaten its hold on power. Jang explicitly suggested that the ruling party “knows its administration would collapse” if the investigations moved forward, portraying the refusal as an act of self-preservation rather than principle.

The broader political background is one of intense polarization. South Korea’s legislature has increasingly seen filibusters, fast-tracked bills, and street-style protests inside parliamentary grounds. Special prosecutors, originally intended as exceptional tools, have become central to this struggle, symbolizing competing visions of accountability and governance. To supporters, they represent transparency and justice; to critics, political escalation and institutional fatigue.

Jang concluded his remarks with a familiar Korean proverb: “The darkest hour is just before dawn.” By this, he sought to reassure supporters that political reform and accountability would ultimately prevail. Whether his hunger strike and the renewed push for special prosecutors will change the legislative outcome remains uncertain, but the episode highlights how deeply questions of corruption, religion, and political power remain intertwined in South Korean democracy.

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Text: Knut Holdhus, editor

Featured image above: Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the conservative People Power Party (PPP). Photo (2024): 국민의힘TV / Wikimedia Commons. License: CC Attr 3.0 Unp. Cropped

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