8.29% in Daegu, 6.69% in Gyeongbuk
Failure to Convey Authenticity to Moderates and TK Voters
Last-Minute Campaign Strategy Also Seen as a Misstep
In the 21st presidential election, Lee Junseok, the candidate of the Reform New Party, garnered only 8.34% of the vote, falling short of the original target of 10%. Just an hour and a half after the polls closed, Lee issued an early concession message, stating, "All responsibility is mine," and acknowledged his defeat. Throughout the campaign, his calls for generational change and a conservative alternative bowed to the limits of broader appeal.
On June 4, political circles assessed that Lee received solid support among male voters in their 20s and 30s in this election. According to exit polls from the three major terrestrial broadcasters, 37.2% of men in their 20s and 25.8% of men in their 30s voted for Lee. However, among women in the same age groups, only 10.3% of women in their 20s and 9.3% of women in their 30s voted for him, highlighting a clear gender bias.
Particularly painful was the underwhelming performance in the Daegu·Gyeongbuk (TK) region. Despite visiting TK as his first official event after the impeachment of former President Yoon Sukyeol and wrapping up his final campaign rally in Daegu, Lee failed to convey authenticity, as reflected in the results of 8.29% in Daegu and 6.69% in Gyeongbuk.
Above all, what may become a burden for Lee's future political path is his decision to reject unification with the broader conservative bloc. Despite pressure to unify with Kim Moonsoo, the People Power Party candidate, Lee maintained a consistent stance, declaring, "There will be no unification." However, in the final tally, Kim received 41.15%. If Lee's 8.34% were added, the combined total would be 49.49%, which is 0.07 percentage points higher than President Lee Jaemyung's 49.42%. This has inevitably fueled speculation that, had unification been achieved based on a simple sum, the election outcome could have been different.
Lee Junseok, the presidential candidate of the Reform New Party, is attending an emergency press conference related to the controversy over the expression of the female body held at the National Assembly on May 29, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin
This calculation has become the basis for growing calls within the conservative camp to hold Lee accountable. Analysts suggest that criticism as the "person responsible for conservative division" is likely to focus more on Lee, who refused unification, than on Kim, who nominally called for it. In fact, the leadership of the People Power Party proposed unification to Lee until the very end of the campaign, and Kim reportedly visited the parliamentary office in person to reach out, but no agreement was reached.
Analysts also point to Lee's last-minute campaign strategy as a major misstep. Although Lee appeared to gain momentum in the early debates, he sparked controversy with remarks about the female body during the third TV debate, which led to a decline in support. While the Reform New Party insisted internally that the impact was minimal, the actual results fell short of expectations. A member of the Reform New Party's election committee said, "It is true that some within the party were concerned that Lee's remarks at the end would affect the vote share."
Because Lee failed to surpass a 10% vote share, he will not be eligible for election cost reimbursement. This has led to predictions that urgent restructuring will be necessary for the party's survival ahead of next year's scheduled local elections. Chun Haram, standing co-chair of the Reform New Party's election committee, stated, "I believe the number of people supporting the Reform New Party will more than double through this presidential election," adding, "From now on, we will focus on preparing with Lee for the local elections."
Political commentator Park Sangbyung said in a phone interview, "In effect, Lee failed to appeal to TK, female voters, and the centrist bloc in this election," adding, "To prepare for next year's local elections, Lee should step back from the front lines for a while and fundamentally reflect on this election."
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