Reform Party Shifts to ‘Lee Ki-in Emergency Leadership’ as Party Reform Accelerates

[Financial News] The Reform Party appointed Secretary-General Lee Ki-in as the new chair of its emergency leadership committee on the 14th, beginning preparations to reform the party. The emergency leadership under Lee is expected to remain in place until July 27 next year, the end of former leader Lee Jun-seok’s remaining term.
Chun Ha-ram, the Reform Party’s acting party leader and parliamentary leader, held a press conference at the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea that morning and announced Lee’s appointment.
Chun explained the reason for the appointment, saying, "Lee is the best person to quickly stabilize the Reform Party" and "is a prepared emergency committee chair who can immediately begin restoring and reforming the party without a separate preparation or assessment period."
He added, "Because party members and key figures have a high level of trust in Lee, he will be able to carry out the party reform effort forcefully and effectively," and urged, "I hope Lee will quickly normalize the party’s extraordinary situation and create an opportunity for a blessing in disguise by reforming it so that it earns the love of party members and the public."
The decision to appoint Lee instead of former lawmaker Jo Eungcheon, who had initially been considered the leading candidate for the position, also appears to reflect the judgment that party reform is urgent. Lee has served as Secretary-General and therefore has a deeper understanding of the party’s affairs. The Secretary-General is generally regarded as a key party official who oversees the party’s major operations and decision-making.
Regarding the decision to appoint an internal figure rather than recruit someone from outside the party, Chun explained, "For the two major parties, it is often enough for an emergency committee chair to come in, deliver messages and propose the broad direction," adding, "The Reform Party needs more than an outside figure who simply delivers messages. There are many matters that require close communication with the party’s internal situation, as well as practical leadership and resolution."
The Reform Party has experienced turbulence following the alleged staged beverage attack involving former Busan mayoral candidate Jeong I-han and its poor performance in local elections. It is also facing internal strife, with disagreements emerging within the party over the reform demands put forward by former leader Lee Jun-seok.
Ultimately, the emergency leadership under Lee is expected to prioritize overcoming the various controversies that arose during the local elections and mending the rift between former leader Lee Jun-seok and some factions within the party. Another major point of interest is whether it can form a broad conservative alliance with the People Power Party ahead of the 2028 general election.
[email protected] Kim Hyeong-gu Reporter