Reform New Party Emphasizing 'Banyun', Will It Seek to Expand Its Size?

The Reform New Party emphasized its 'anti-Yoon (anti-Yoon Seok-yeol)' stance, strengthening its identity as an opposition party. The party plans to firmly establish itself as the only conservative alternative party within the broader opposition by distancing itself from the current ruling party.

On the 15th, at the first Supreme Council meeting held after the general election, Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform New Party, stated, "As a clear opposition party, we will criticize the Yoon Seok-yeol administration for attempting to overcome the current political crisis through dishonest means."

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform New Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 15th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Leader Lee pointed out, "The Yoon administration announced an enormous (fiscal) deficit immediately after the election as expected," adding, "How can the numerous pledges announced during the livelihood forums in the months before the election be realized financially? President Yoon knew the fiscal situation was poor but still recklessly issued policies." He continued, "Public sentiment ultimately calls for all parties to unite and come up with ideas to solve livelihood issues," and said, "The Reform New Party will actively strive to propose alternatives regarding problems such as the medical crisis."

Floor leader Yang Hyang-ja summarized the public's expectations for the Reform New Party into three main points. Yang emphasized, "They want the party to be a remedy for Korean politics, which is addicted to factionalism, and to serve as a communication bridge in a political environment where dialogue has broken down," adding, "The Reform New Party is the only party capable of engaging in dialogue with both major parties." She further added, "Lastly, they want the party to supply future energy for Korean politics," specifying, "The energy of youth, the energy of innovation, and the energy of advanced science and technology industry visions."

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform New Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 15th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Political circles interpret the Reform New Party’s emphasis on clarity as an opposition party immediately after the general election as an attempt to expand its political maneuvering space. By cooperating with the major opposition parties on so-called 'Special Prosecutor Acts for Chae Sang-byeong' and 'Special Prosecutor Acts for Kim Geon-hee,' the party can solidify its political influence as a casting voter.

There is also speculation that the party may attempt to grow by rallying anti-Yoon forces amid potential seismic shifts in the ruling camp. Some evaluate that Leader Lee might be drawing a blueprint to expand conservative forces excluding pro-Yoon (pro-Yoon Seok-yeol) factions as his next step. It is also noteworthy that Lee announced he would not run in the party convention and plans to focus on the 2026 local elections. On his Facebook, Lee said, "I want to devote myself to discovering new talents and establishing election strategies in preparation for the local elections."

However, experts mostly consider it premature to expect Leader Lee to consolidate anti-Yoon forces. Political commentator Hwang Tae-soon explained, "At the core of the anti-Yoon movement is the Jo Guk Innovation Party, and it is not easy to judge whether Lee can unite conservative forces in the future political landscape based solely on the general election results."