[Why&next] Reform New Party Faces Greatest Crisis Since Founding... Will Centrifugal Forces Intensify?

The Reform New Party is facing its greatest crisis in a little over three years since its founding. After suffering a crushing defeat in the 9th Nationwide Local Elections, the party’s leading figure, former leader Lee Junseok, has resigned. Concerns are growing that unless the party establishes a distinct presence, it could experience increasing centrifugal forces ahead of the next parliamentary elections, much like previous third-party blocks.

Lee Junseok, leader of the Reform New Party, is seen greeting after announcing his resignation from the leadership position at the National Assembly Communication Office on August 26, 2026. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

The Disappearance of the Party’s Figurehead... Shrinking Influence Unavoidable

According to political sources on August 27, Lee plans to focus on managing his constituency and legislative activities for the time being after stepping down as party leader. While Floor Leader Chun Haram is expected to serve as acting leader and steer the party, it is widely believed that a shrinking of influence is inevitable in the absence of the main figurehead.

Lee had pursued strategies to raise the party’s profile, including concentrating efforts in strategic regions (southern Gyeonggi Province) and expanding content, but reportedly failed to gain traction. Political commentator Park Sangbyeong noted, “Incumbents probably believe it will be difficult to compete under ballot number 4,” adding, “Lee seems to have reached the limits of his leadership.”

Following in the Tragic Path of Previous Third Parties?

The situation faced by the Reform New Party mirrors that of past third-party examples, such as the Unification National Party (Chung Ju-yung), National New Party (Lee In-je), and People’s Party (Ahn Cheol-soo). These parties managed to achieve certain results in general and presidential elections based on a handful of prominent figures but were unable to build a structure for self-sustaining growth, leading to the gradual increase of centrifugal forces.

Of course, there are exceptions, such as the Liberty Democratic Union, which lasted 11 years, but the difference lies in its strong regional base in Chungcheong, enabling self-sustenance. Additionally, South Korea’s simple plurality electoral system plays a role. An official from the Reform New Party who has experienced various third-party blocks commented, “Unlike other third parties, the Reform New Party is free from ideological polarization, which is both a strength and a weakness. Given the lessons from past failures, the recent trend has been an even stronger concentration toward the two major parties.”

Independent Survival vs. Conservative Integration

The key issue is whether the Reform New Party can secure centripetal force in the absence of its principal figure, Lee. If the party cannot demonstrate meaningful presence, there is concern it could be swept up passively in a possible realignment of the conservative bloc ahead of the next general election.

Former United Future Party (predecessor to People Power Party) lawmaker Kim Sungtae commented, “From the public’s perspective, unless a party is on a major party path, it is difficult for their sentiments and demands to be realized, and that is where the Reform New Party has met its limits.” He added, “However, unless the conservative camp brings about major innovation, integration will not be easy. For now, I expect the party to regroup and observe changes in the political landscape.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.