Reform Party (South Korea)
Reform Party 개혁신당 | |
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Abbreviation | RP |
Leader | Lee Jun-seok |
Secretary-General | Kim Chul-keun |
Floor Leader | Chun Ha-ram |
Chair of the Policy Planning Committee | Lee Joo-young |
Founder | Lee Jun-seok |
Founded | 20 January 2024 |
Split from | People Power Party |
Membership (May 2025) | 106,183[1] |
Ideology | |
Political position | Right-wing[9] |
Colours | Orange Black |
Slogan | 좌도 우도 아닌, 앞으로 ('Neither left nor right, but forward.') 압도적 새로움 ('Overwhelming Novelty') |
National Assembly | 3 / 300 |
Metropolitan Mayors and Governors | 0 / 17 |
Municipal Mayors | 0 / 226 |
Provincial and Metropolitan Councillors | 2 / 872 |
Municipal Councillors | 6 / 2,988 |
Party flag | |
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Website | |
reformparty | |
Reform Party | |
Hangul | 개혁신당 |
Hanja | 改革新黨 |
RR | Gaehyeok sindang |
MR | Kaehyŏk sindang |
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The Reform Party (RP; Korean: 개혁신당) is a South Korean political party jointly led by Lee Jun-seok, the former leader of the People Power Party (PPP). While initially founded by Lee Jun-seok as a conservative party after his split from the PPP, it has subsequently merged with various parties and factions led by politicians formerly affiliated with the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and Justice Party.
History
[edit]The founding congress of the Reform Party was held on 20 January 2024.[10] At the founding congress, the intention was emphasized to create a "third force", which would include the Reform Party, to oppose the Democratic Party and the PPP. The new party expressed its readiness to create coalitions.[11] The party is led by former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok and the conservative Kim Yong-nam is the party's policy committee chief.[11]
On 24 January 2024, Yang Hyang-ja's Hope of Korea merged into the Reform Party ahead of the April 10 parliamentary election.[12] On February 9, it was announced that the party, along with Future Party led by Lee Nak-yon, would merge to create the Reform Party, with the new party being led by Lee Jun-seok and Lee Nak-yon.[13]
On 20 February 2024, Lee Nak-yon and his New Future Party announced their withdrawal from the merger with the Reform Party. Kim Jong-min, an assemblyman close to Lee, also left the party to rejoin Lee's New Future Party.[14]
In April 2025, the party rejected Hong Joon-pyo's suggestion for a merger with People Power Party, citing its opposition to the PPP's support for Yoon Suk-yeol after the 2024 martial law crisis.[15]
Ideology
[edit]Initially, the Reform Party mainly consisted of moderate conservatives centred around Lee Jun-seok, joined by centrists formerly affiliated with the Bareunmirae Party.[16] Centre-left members of the Justice Party who refused an election alliance with the Green Party also left the party and joined the election alliance. This includes former MP Ryu Ho-jeong. However, after consecutive mergers with other parties and factions, it has morphed into a big tent party composed of members from different backgrounds.
Because its various factions were merged to form a centrist block ahead of the 2024 South Korean parliamentary elections, party members remain divided along ideological lines.[17]
The party claims to be against authoritarianism and statism and seeks to protect liberty.[18][19][vague]
Election results
[edit]President
[edit]Election | Candidate | Votes | % | Result |
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2025 | Lee Jun-seok | 2,917,523 | 8.34 | Lost |
Legislature
[edit]Election | Leader | Constituency | Party list | Seats | Position | Status | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | Seats | +/- | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | No. | +/– | ||||
2024 | Lee Jun-seok | 195,147 | 0.68 | New | 1 / 254 | 1,025,775 | 3.62 | New | 2 / 46 | 3 / 300 | New | 4th | Opposition |
References
[edit]- ^ "개혁신당". 개혁신당. Retrieved 2025-05-19.
- ^ ""KIM OVERSEES MISSILE TEST"". Korean Broadcasting System. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ "South Korea opposition parties expand Assembly dominance". Asia News Network. 12 April 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
- ^ [2][3]
- ^ "South Korea's Defining Vote: The 2025 Presidential Election". eurasia review. 20 May 2025.
New Reform Party promotes a libertarian approach to conservatism
- ^ "South Korea's New President to Confront Long List of Security, Trade Woes". Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. 29 May 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ Jung, Heejung; Bendeich, Mark; Escritt, Thomas (29 May 2025). "How a Gen Z gender divide is reshaping democracy". Reuters. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ Gao, Ming; Elfving-Hwang, Joanna (4 June 2025). "South Korea election: Lee Jae-myung takes over a country split by gender politics". The Conversation. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
- ^ [6][7][8]
- ^ "New political party launched in S.Korea ahead of April's general election". NHK WORLD. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ a b "Reform Party Launches with Former PPP Chief Lee Jun-seok as its Chief". KBS World. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ 이준석 개혁신당-양향자 한국의희망 '합당'…제3지대 연대 본격화. The Dong-A Ilbo (in Korean). 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ "Smaller political powers agree to merge into new party ahead of general elections". The Korea Herald. Yonhap. 2024-02-09. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ [바로이뉴스] "다시 새로운미래로 돌아간다"…11일 만에 결별 선언한 이낙연. 언론사 뷰. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ 박, 형빈 (24 April 2025). "개혁신당, 홍준표 '빅텐트' 제안에 "내란 텐트 합류 안해"". Yonhap News.
- ^ 여야 정치인 12명, 5일 개혁신당 합류…지원사격 나선 양향자. The Seoul Economic Daily (in Korean). 2024-01-04. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ "Doubts remain over 'big tent' party's ability to work together". The Korea Times. 2024-02-12. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ 천하람, "당 내부 권위주의 배격…권력에 기생하지 않겠다". Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). 2023-12-29. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
- ^ 이준석 "개혁신당, 보수주의 아닌 자유주의 표방해야". Money Today (in Korean). 2024-02-13. Retrieved 2024-05-18.