Lee Jun-seok to step down as party leader after local election defeat and Jeong I-han scandal

[Financial News] Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party, is reportedly set to step down as party chief, taking political responsibility for the party's defeat in the June 3 local elections and the alleged staged attack scandal involving Busan mayoral candidate Jeong I-han.
According to The Chosun Ilbo and others on the 26th, Lee is expected to hold a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Center on Wednesday morning and announce his resignation as party leader.
The Reform Party fielded candidates for a wide range of posts in the June 3 local elections, including metropolitan and municipal heads, but won only one seat in a local council. Its political standing was further weakened when Jeong I-han, who ran for mayor of Busan, was indicted and detained on charges of staging an attack.
A Reform Party official told The Chosun Ilbo, "Lee has a strong sense of crisis that if the Reform Party continues in its current state, it will be difficult to achieve any results in the April 2028 general election," adding, "Even core party officials responded in a way that suggested, 'Are the local election defeat and the Jeong I-han scandal my responsibility?' and Lee was reportedly deeply discouraged."
Lee reportedly agonized over how to overcome the crisis, but as the party remained lukewarm about reform, he eventually made up his mind to step down as leader.
A Reform Party official told Yonhap News Agency, "We should not just let the public's disappointment in our party slide. Before continuing with political events as if nothing happened, we need to talk first about internal reform and innovation."
Earlier, Lee had been scheduled to meet with Kim Min-seok, the newly elected leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, along with floor leader Chun Ha-ram, after Kim expressed his intention to visit the Reform Party on the 24th for a courtesy call. However, the meeting was canceled about two hours before it was set to begin, citing "internal party circumstances."
[email protected] Kim Su-yeon Reporter