South Korea opposition party picks backer of ousted President Yoon as leader

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By Ju-min Park and Joyce Lee

SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea’s opposition conservative party chose on Tuesday as its leader, Jang Dong-hyeok, a lawmaker who has openly advocated for the country’s former President Yoon Suk Yeol despite his ousting over a botched bid to declare martial law.

The People’s Power Party (PPP) picked Jang, a two-time lawmaker who joined right-wing rallies organised by Christian churches and spoke out in defence of Yoon this year, even after calls for PPP to distance itself from the impeached Yoon who is on trial for alleged insurrection.

In June, the party suffered a big defeat in a snap presidential election that left it with little power to challenge new centre-left President Lee Jae Myung and his Democratic Party.

“Together with right-wing citizens, I will sacrifice my everything to take down the Lee Jae Myung regime,” Jang said after his election as party leader.

Critics have labelled Jang as “far-right” due to his association with staunch Yoon supporters, including some who have made unsubstantiated claims about the conservatives being victims of election fraud.

Jang rejected such labels and called for the party to unite in order to take on the Lee administration.

During a meeting with South Korea’s president on Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump raised questions about investigations by authorities in Seoul that he said targeted churches and a military base used by U.S. forces.

Trump was apparently referring to ongoing wide-ranging investigations by South Korean authorities into then-President Yoon’s martial law declaration and its fallout.

A section of South Korea’s far-right movement, which includes evangelical Christians and Yoon supporters, view the ousted president as being a victim of communist persecution.

(Reporting by Ju-Min Park and Joyce LeeEditing by Ed Davies)