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Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party, sits in a tent outside the National Assembly building in Yeouido, Seoul, as he carries out a hunger strike in protest of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration on Aug. 31. (Kim Bong-gyu/The Hankyoreh)

Lee Jae-myung, the leader of Korea’s top opposition Democratic Party, went on a hunger strike on Thursday in protest of “the incompetent and violent Yoon Suk-yeol regime,” vowing to “stand at the forefront of the people’s struggle.”

At a press conference held to mark his one-year anniversary as party leader, Lee vowed to “stop the destruction of democracy if it’s the last thing I do,” and announced he would be embarking on an indefinite hunger strike starting that day.

“The Yoon Suk-yeol administration has destroyed the constitutional order and democracy and declared war on the people,” the Democratic leader said. “I bear the greatest responsibility for the collapse of South Korea and the lives of the people. Today will be the first day of judgment of the insolent administration and the restoration of democracy.”

By commencing the hunger strike Lee intends to protest the Yoon government’s muddled leadership of the country and its pandering to right-wing populism, as demonstrated by the administration’s inaction on the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan and the push to remove busts of Gen. Hong Beom-do, a Korean independence fighter.

Lee urged the ruling camp to apologize to the public, declare its opposition to the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima, and overhaul how it is running the country.

Lee drew a clear line on issues surrounding his status as party leader.

“Party members overwhelmingly support the current system,” he told reporters when asked about calls for him to resign from some lawmakers not belonging to his faction of the party.

When asked about certain Democrats arguing that he should vocally advocate for party members to vote for a motion for his arrest to alleviate pressure on the party, Lee responded, “Do you think this constitutes a reason for detainment?”

The ruling party has been critical of Lee’s hunger strike, dubbing it “uncalled for.”

“I don't understand why he is fasting ahead of the start of the regular parliamentary session,” the People Power Party’s leader, Kim Gi-hyeon, told reporters. “He’s basically saying he’s planning on neglecting his duties as the leader of the largest opposition party.”

By Um Ji-won, staff reporter; Kang Jae-gu, staff reporter

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