Opposition leader Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok delivers his parliamentary speech at the National Assembly on Wednesday. (Yonhap)
Opposition leader Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok delivers his parliamentary speech at the National Assembly on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

US President Donald Trump's statement regarding tariffs and accusations of discrimination against US tech firms shows Washington's dissatisfaction with the Lee Jae Myung administration's policy of balancing between China and the US, according to the opposition leader.

People Power Party Chair Jang Dong-hyeok addressed the National Assembly on Wednesday in the first extraordinary session of 2026 in accordance with the National Assembly Act.

Speaking on recent events, such as Trump saying he would raise the tariff on South Korean goods to 25 percent, and US politicians' show of frustration over South Korea's treatment of e-commerce firm Coupang's consumer data leak, Jang told the parliament, "Everyone knows that this isn't the entire story."

"This is a symbolic event in which (the US) asks South Korea what its choice is (between the US and China), amid their hegemonic competition," Jang said.

He urged the liberal bloc to confront reality instead of pushing for the so-called “online platform law,” which drew criticism from the US for specifically targeting US tech firms. He added that now is not the right time to debate whether Washington's "America First" policy is desirable.

Jang claimed that President Lee's pragmatism-based foreign policy toward the US and China is a pipe dream that neglects the geopolitical reality in East Asia.

“Saying ‘thank you’ in Washington and saying ‘Xiexie’ in Beijing is not pragmatic,” Jang said. "There is no diplomacy that satisfies everyone, like there is no choice that satisfies everyone."

"Improving relations with China is necessary. However, our diplomacy must be grounded in our alliance with the US,” he added. “If the alliance is shaken, we will end up losing our advantage in our relations with China."

Jang suggested in his speech that South Korea's greater participation in the US-led reconstruction project in war-torn Ukraine, once the Ukraine War is over, and in US-led development in Alaska and Greenland, could help South Korea alleviate US pressure.

He said the main opposition party would cooperate with the ruling party and the government to achieve such ends.

This came a few days after Prime Minister Kim Min-seok rejected speculation Monday that Trump's tariff comments were motivated by his perceptions of South Korean pressure on Coupang.

In a press conference Monday, he played down US Vice President JD Vance's reported pressure on South Korea over its crackdown on US firms, saying what was depicted in such media reports was "far from reality."

The conservative party leader also criticized Lee for his conciliatory gesture toward North Korea and his pledge to complete the transfer of wartime operational control from the US to South Korea in what Jang said was a rushed manner, while failing to reinforce South Korea's defense readiness posture.

Meanwhile, the conservative party leader criticized that the liberal bloc's push to dissolve the prosecutors' office and split it into two smaller bodies, saying it was meant to set up “pro-regime investigative authorities” to defend those in power.

Once a new government body dedicated to investigation carves out of the prosecution's office, the body will be "dominated by those dispatched from the presidential office and pro-regime lawyers," which will allow those in power to remain immune to criminal investigation, while ordinary people without power will be targeted.

This is a reference to the administration and the ruling party's push for judicial reform, which Jang said is meant to "conduct trials to their liking."

The main opposition party would continue to push for special counsel bills against liberal politicians, Jang said.

Jang also proposed to lower the voting age from 18 to 16 starting this year's local elections. The voting age in South Korea was 20 when South Korea achieved democratization in 1987, and was lowered to 19, effective in 2005 and to 18 effective in 2020.

The opposition leader also renewed his request for a one-on-one meeting with Lee on Wednesday. Earlier in January, Lee told a news conference that he would meet the opposition leader to being needed breakthroughs in meetings between chairs of the major rival parties.


consnow@heraldcorp.com