[Politics X-File] The Symbol of Conservatism, Hannara Party, the Longest History of 14 Years and 3 Months

18. Ever-Changing Korean Politics, Continuous Party Name Changes
Longest-Lasting Party Since 1987, Hannara Party
Founded December 1997, Dissolved February 2012

Editor's Note‘Political X-Files’ is a series that delivers the ‘unprecedented stories’ recorded in the election results and incidents of Korean politics.

The changing names of political parties during every election confuse voters. In fact, not many people accurately remember the name of the party they voted for in the 21st general election three years ago.

Some parties have already disappeared, and some changed their names during party mergers. Some parties quietly change their names every election. Unlike the Democratic and Republican parties in the U.S., is it possible to have a party name that immediately evokes the party’s existence and identity? Ultimately, this is a dilemma intertwined with the history of political parties.

Considering the ever-changing nature of Korean politics, political parties that have maintained their identity under one name for a long time are rare. For example, the current Democratic Party of Korea has produced three presidents since the introduction of the direct presidential election system in 1987: former Presidents Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, and Moon Jae-in.

An interesting point is that the party names at the time of their presidential elections were all different. Kim Dae-jung was a candidate of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, Roh Moo-hyun was from the Millennium Democratic Party, and Moon Jae-in was from the Democratic Party of Korea.

The fact that three presidents were elected from three different parties means that party names have changed frequently. It is not only the Democratic Party. The current People Power Party ran under the name United Future Party in the general election three years ago, a party that no longer exists.

During the 2017 presidential election, the party nominated Hong Joon-pyo as its candidate, and the party name at that time was the Liberty Korea Party.

Has there ever been a party in Korean politics that existed under one name for more than ten years? Before the introduction of the direct presidential election system in 1987, there was the Democratic Republican Party under the Park Chung-hee administration, which lasted 17 years and 6 months. Even after 1987, there was a party that existed under one name for over ten years.

That party is the Grand National Party, which was recognized as the proper noun of conservative parties. Even now, some people still refer to the People Power Party as the Grand National Party. In Korean politics, the Grand National Party was the foundation of conservative politics itself.

The brightest history of conservative politics and the unprecedented landslide victories recorded in Korean politics were all achieved during the era of the Grand National Party.

The Grand National Party was founded in November 1997, ahead of the 1997 presidential election. It changed its name to the Saenuri Party in February 2012, before the 19th general election. It existed as the Grand National Party for 14 years and 3 months.

The Grand National Party experienced a landslide victory with over 5 million votes through candidate Lee Myung-bak in the 2007 presidential election. In the 2006 local elections held simultaneously nationwide, it became the protagonist of a historic landslide victory in Korean political history. Although the Grand National Party spent more time as an opposition party, in terms of party strength, it is considered one of the most powerful parties in history.

Having contested important elections under the name Grand National Party for over 14 years, voters had no reason to be confused about the party name. Supporters of conservative parties chose the Grand National Party without much difficulty.

So why did the Grand National Party disappear? It is also related to elections. Ahead of the 19th general election in 2012, the Grand National Party’s Emergency Response Committee attempted to change the party name to Saenuri Party. The name change was justified by the desire for reform and consideration of the 20s to 40s age group.

Kim Ki-hyun, the newly elected leader of the People Power Party, is waving the party flag after being elected as the party leader at the party's 3rd national convention held on the afternoon of the 8th at KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The strategy was to create a new trend through the party name change, as the conservative image of the Grand National Party had limitations in appealing to the younger generation’s votes. Thus, the 2012 April general election and December presidential election were held under the name Saenuri Party.

However, whether abandoning the name Grand National Party was the right choice remains questionable. Since the launch of the Saenuri Party, the party names have continued to change over 11 years, from Liberty Korea Party to United Future Party, and now the People Power Party. The average lifespan of each party name is less than three years.

Until the mid-2010s, the Democratic Party also changed its name repeatedly. The current name, Democratic Party of Korea, was adopted in December 2015. It has been carrying on its history under this name for 7 years and 5 months. Considering the Democratic Party’s past, this is a relatively long-lasting party name.

Will the Democratic Party of Korea, like the Grand National Party, be able to continue its history for over ten years? How long will the People Power Party, founded in 2020, exist under this name? Will it surpass the 14 years and 3 months history of the Grand National Party?

It will be interesting to see under what party names the current ruling and opposition parties will meet voters in the April 2024 general election and the March 2027 presidential election.