'Lee Jun-seok Resignation' Reform Party in Crisis... Uncertain Future

News1 [Financial News] Lee Jun-seok, leader of the New Reform Party, has suddenly voluntarily resigned from his position as party leader. The move is intended to take political responsibility for the crushing defeat in the June 3 local elections, in which the party managed to elect only one local council member, and the self-inflicted terror incident involving Busan mayoral candidate Jeong Yi-han. Given the strong image of the New Reform Party as "Lee Jun-seok's Party," analysts suggest that Lee's resignation signifies the party's greatest crisis since its founding.
Lee held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Center on the 26th and declared his resignation, stating, "For a little over three months since the local elections, I have been contemplating and proposing measures for the party's self-reliance and reform, but I have not received sufficient support within the party," and adding, "The responsibility for failing to persuade lies entirely with me, the leader. " With Representative Lee stepping down from the party leadership, the party's leadership has also collapsed. Floor Leader Cheon Ha-ram will assume the role of acting party leader, and plans are in place to hold a national convention to elect the next leadership.
The defeat in the June 3 local elections is the backdrop to Representative Lee's sudden resignation announcement. Given Representative Lee's high name recognition, the New Reform Party had planned to strengthen its organizational power through the local elections. 8% of the votes among five candidates. Despite showcasing various unconventional experiments, such as "AI office managers" and "990,000 won nominations," the party failed to produce results. On top of this, Candidate Jeong’s self-staged terrorist act has not only raised questions about the New Reform Party’s nomination system but has also plunged the party into a crisis where its fundamental trust is crumbling.
Interpretations are also being raised that the party has hit a wall in the groundwork process for the 2028 general election. It is said that while they began drawing up a blueprint for the general election over the past two months following the local elections, they have now encountered physical and psychological limitations that prevent them from completing the task within the given timeframe. A party official analyzed, "Since it looks like [Representative Lee] would easily lose if he only played normal moves to increase his winning probability like an AI, he may have played a move to turn the tables," adding, "Perhaps he has burned his bridges because he believes nothing will change at present. " Indeed, Representative Lee stated at a press conference, "We have an unavoidable political schedule ahead of us. Time in politics waits for no one. " Following this, voices are emerging hoping that the existing structure, which relies entirely on Representative Lee’s personal skills, will change.
There are also reports that conflicts arose during the process of Representative Lee drawing up the blueprint for party reform. Secretary-General Lee Ki-in explained on CBS Radio, "There were slight disagreements regarding the party's path and direction, but it was not to the extent of a conflict," adding, "Since everyone lacked enthusiasm during the process of gathering opinions, the party representative made a comprehensive judgment. " However, regarding reports that Representative Lee and Floor Leader Chun clashed during a closed-door Supreme Council meeting, an official who witnessed the event firsthand clarified, "There was no such incident.
" Analysis suggests that the New Reform Party is facing its greatest crisis of survival since its founding due to the leadership vacuum. In particular, the possibility of a merger with the People Power Party is reportedly being discussed. Although the People Power Party has also declared "alliance with all political forces that sympathize with conservative values," questions are being raised as the New Reform Party failed to achieve significant results in the local elections, questioning whether a merger is absolutely necessary. Even within the New Reform Party, the possibility of a "merger after self-strengthening" is being raised, with the stance that "reorganizing the New Reform Party and strengthening itself is the priority. " The argument is that to merge, the priority must be becoming an indispensable entity to the People Power Party. Furthermore, questions are being raised regarding whether a chemical integration with the New Reform Party is possible under the current leadership of Representative Jang Dong-hyuk. The selection of the People Power Party's next leadership before the general election is also expected to have an impact.
The New Reform Party plans to hold a national convention within 60 days to form a new leadership, in accordance with its party constitution and bylaws. Given that Representative Lee is a party with significant influence, attention is also focused on the pool of candidates for the next party leader. Inside and outside the party, candidates being mentioned include the election of a party leader through the recruitment of new talent, as well as existing members such as former lawmaker Cho Eung-chun.
[email protected] Lee Hae-ram Reporter