Political parties of South Korea
 |
|---|
 South Korea portal |
This article lists political parties in South Korea.
South Korea has a weakly institutionalized multi-party system,[1][2] characterized by frequent changes in party arrangements. Political parties have a chance of gaining power alone.
Current parties
Main parties
| Party | Abbr. | Coalition | Leader | Floor leader | Ideology | Political position | Policy toward North | National Assembly | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parliamentary group |  |
|
DPK | None | Lee Jae-myung | Park Hong-keun | Liberalism (South Korean) | Centre[3] to centre-left[4] | Pro-Sunshine Policy | 163 / 300
| |
 |
|
PPP | None | Kim Gi-hyeon | Joo Ho-young | Conservatism (South Korean) | Right-wing | Anti-North | 112 / 300
| ||
| Without parliamentary group |  |
|
JP | Green Justice Party (with the Green Party Korea) |
Lee Jeong-mi | Bae Jin-gyo | Centre-left to left-wing[a] | Moderate[b] | 6 / 300
| ||
 |
|
BIP | New Progressive Alliance (with the Open Democratic Party) |
Shin Ji-Hae | Yong Hye-in | Universal basic income | Single-issue | N/A | 1 / 300
| ||
 |
|
PP | None | Yoon Hee-suk |
|
Progressivism (South Korean) | Left-wing[c] | Strongly pro-Sunshine Policy[11] | 1 / 300
| ||
 |
|
NRP | None | Lee Jun-seok | Yang Hyang-ja | Conservatism[12] | N/A | 1 / 300
| |||
 |
|
NFP | None | Lee Nak-yon | Kim Jong-min | N/A | 1 / 300
| ||||
- ^ The Justice Party is considered a solid 'left-wing' or 'progressive' in South Korea's political landscape.[5] However, some of researchers have evaluated the Justice Party as radical in South Korea's conservative political landscape, but still more moderate than the centre-left social democrats in Europe.[6]
- ^ JP does not support anti-communism and is moderate-open to dialogue with the North Korean government. However, unlike the DPK, which supports a friendly approach to North Korea.[sentence fragment][7][8]
- ^ The Progressive Party is often described as "far-left" in South Korea due to its sympathies toward North Korea, opposition to the U.S. military presence in South Korea, and political similarities with the defunct Unified Progressive Party.[9][10] This is due to the party descending from the Minjokhaebang-wing (National Liberation faction) of progressivism in South Korea, who were described as being left-wing nationalists, reunificationists and anti-American.
Extra-parliamentary parties
Conservative parties
- Revolution Party (혁명21당)
- Liberty Party (자유당)
- Inter-Korean Unification Party (남북통일당)
- Pro-Park New Party (친박신당)
- Our Republican Party (우리공화당)
- Liberty Unification Party (자유통일당), formerly Christian Liberal Unification Party (기독자유통일당)
- Dawn of Liberty (자유의새벽당)
- Saenuri Party (2017) (새누리당)
- New National Participation Party (국민참여신당)
- Let's Go! Korea (가자코리아)
- The Christian Party (기독당)
- Korean Independence Party (한국독립당)
- Liberty Democratic Party (자유민주당)
- New Korean Peninsula Party (신한반도당)
- Korean People's Party (대한국민당) [13]
- People's Grand United Party (국민대통합당)[14]
- All Together (모두함께) [15]
- Future Korean Peninsula Party (한반도미래당)
- New Reform Party (개혁신당)
Centrist (or conservative liberal) parties
- Hongik Party (홍익당)
- Let's Go! Peace and Human Rights Party (가자!평화인권당)
- Let's Go! Environmental Party (가자환경당)
- Korean Welfare Party (한국복지당)
- Korean Wave Alliance Party (한류연합당)
- Party for People's Livelihood (민생당)
Liberal parties
- Awakened Civic Solidarity Party (깨어있는시민연대당)
- Republic of Korea Party (대한민국당)
- A Brighter Future Party (더밝은미래당)
- Open Democratic Party (열린민주당), a recreation of the now-dissolved Open Democratic Party, which merged with the Democratic Party on 12 January 2022.
- Korea's Farmer and Fisherman's Party(한국농어민당)
- A New Choice(새로운선택)
Progressive parties
- Labor Party (노동당)
- Green Party (녹색당)
- Our Future (미래당)
- National Sovereignty Party(국민주권당)
Single-issue parties
- Women's Party (여성의당)
- People's Democracy Party (민중민주당)
- Small and Medium-sized Businesses and Self-employed Peoples' Party (중소자영업당)
Unknown stances, third position, or syncretic parties
- Hope of Korea
- National Revolutionary Party (국가혁명당)
- The Beggar's Party (거지당), they would go to England to return the portrait of famous Buddhist Monk Jinpyo in the British Museum. They also claim that Queen Elizabeth was Queen Seondeok of Silla in her past life.[citation needed]
- United Korean People's Party (통일한국당), Samgyun-ist party, where republican and nationalist political thought merge.[16]
- Towards Tomorrow, Towards the Future (충청의미래당), a local political party in the Chungcheong region. Formerly known as the Chungcheong's Future Party. (2020-2023)
Parties in formation
These parties are not legal acting political parties yet, but are in the process of gathering petition signatures to become formal political parties.
| Party name | Registration date | Party leader | Petitioning deadline | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Democratic Party 사회민주당 |
25 September 2023 | Jeong Ho-jin | 25 March 2023 | Created out of 60 members who defected from the left-wing Justice Party[17] |
| People's Policy Party 국민정책당 |
31 August 2023 | Lee Ki-nam | 29 February 2024 | |
| Nuclear Nation Party 핵나라당 |
5 October 2023 | Jeong Hui-won | 5 April 2024 | A Hitlerite party that has submitted its attempted registration for the 7th time[18] |
| The People's Judgement 국민의심판 |
3 November 2023 | Kim Pil-gyu | 3 May 2024 | |
| The People's Sentiment 민심동행 |
6 November 2023 | Shin In-kyu | 6 May 2024 | Created from anti-Yoon conservatives. |
| Abolish Special Privileges Party 특권폐지당 |
4 December 2023 | Jang Gi-pyo | 4 June 2024 | Single-issue party aimed at abolishing the law stating that lawmakers cannot be prosecuted while a sitting lawmaker unless approval from two-thirds of parliament. |
| Taegon Party 태건당 |
26 December 2023 | Bang Sang-young | 26 June 2024 | A pseudo-religious political party whose leader claims to be the leader of the "Dragon Empire" who promises followers an afterlife if they donate money. |
| Future Reform Party 개혁미래당 |
16 January 2024 | Lee Nak-yon | 14 June 2024 | A new liberal party created from 3 Democrat Members of Parliament who left the Party on 12 January 2024 and joined by the 41st Prime Minister of South Korea, Lee Nak-yon. |
| Financial Reform Party 금융개혁당 |
17 January 2024 | Shin Mi-sook | 16 June 2024 |
Defunct parties
Conservative parties
Mainstream parties
- National Alliance for the Rapid Realization of Korean Independence (1946–1951)
- Liberal Party (1951–1960)
- Democratic Republican Party (1963–1980)
- Democratic Justice Party (1981–1990)
- Democratic Liberal Party → New Korea Party (1990–1997)
- Hannara Party → Saenuri Party → Liberty Korea Party (1997–2020)
Minor parties
- Korean Resistance Party (1945–1950)
- Federation Korean National Independence (1947–1951)
- Korea National Party (1947–1958)
- Korean National Party → New Democratic Republican Party (1981–1990)
- United People's Party → Democratic Party (1992–1995)
- United Liberal Democrats (1995–2006)
- People First Party (2005–2008)
- Liberty Forward Party → Advancement Unification Party (2008–2012)
- Pro-Park Coalition → Future Hope Alliance (2008–2012)
- Hannara Party (2012)
- Evergreen Korea Party (2017–2018)
- Grand National United Party (2017–2018)
- Bareun Party (2017–2018)
- Bareunmirae Party (2018–2020)
- New Conservative Party (2020)
- Republican Party (공화당) (2014–2020), merged with Christian Liberal Unification Party (기독자유통일당) to form National Revolutionary Party (국민혁명당).
- Uri Party (2021)
- Free Korea 21 (2016–2021), formerly Korea Economic Party, merged with Liberty Democratic Party.
- Ahn Cheol-soo's People's Party (2020-2022), merged with the People Power.
- Pro-Park Coalition (친박연대) (2012-2022)
- Future Korean Peninsula Union (한반도미래연합) (2016-2022)
Liberal parties
Mainstream parties
- Korea Democratic Party → Democratic National Party (1945–1955)
- Democratic Party (1955–1961)
- Civil Rule Party (1963–1965)
- People's Party → New Democratic Party (1965–1980)
- Democratic Korea Party (1981–1988)
- New Korea and Democratic Party (1984–1988)
- Reunification Democratic Party (1987–1990)
- Peace Democratic Party (1987–1991)
- Democratic Party (1991–1995)
- National Congress for New Politics (1995–2000)
- Millennium Democratic Party → Democratic Party (2000–2008)
- Uri Party (2002–2007)
- Grand Unified Democratic New Party (2007–2008)
- United Democratic Party → Democratic Party (2008–2011)
- Democratic United Party → Democratic Party (2011–2014)
Minor parties
- Democratic Party (1963–1965)
- Democratic Unification Party (1973–1980)
- Democratic Party (1990–1991)
- Democratic Party (1995–1997)
- The Participation Party (2010–2011)
- New Political Vision Party (2014)
- Democratic Party (2014–2016)
- People's Party (2016–2018)
- Bareunmirae Party (2018–2020)
- Party for Democracy and Peace (2018–2020)
- New Alternatives (2019–2020)
- Future Democratic Party (2020)
- Open Democratic Party (2020–2022)
- Kim Dong-yeon's New Wave - Squid Party (새로운물결 - 오징어당) (2021-2022)[19]
- Transition Korea (2020-2023), merged into conservative People Power.[20]
- Hope of Korea (2023-2024), merged into Lee Jun-seok's New Reform Party.
Progressive parties
- Preparatory Committee for National Construction → People's Party of Korea → People's Labor Party (1945–1950)
- Socialist Party (1951–1953)
- Progressive Party (1956–1958, banned)
- United Socialist Party of Korea (1961–1967)
- Revolutionary Party for Reunification → National Democratic Front of South Korea → Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front (1969–2005, banned)
- Hankyoreh Democratic Party (1988–1991)
- People's Party (1988)
- Popular Party (1990–1992)
- People's Victory 21 → Democratic Labor Party (1997–2011)
- Youth Progressive Party → Socialist Party → Korea Socialist Party → Socialist Party (1998–2012)
- New Progressive Party (2008–2012)
- Unified Progressive Party (2011–2014, banned)[21]
- People's United Party (2016–2017)
- New People's Party (2017)
- Socialist Revolutionary Workers' Party,[a] merged with Labor Party. (2016–2022)[22]
Green parties
- Korea Greens (2004–2008)
Unknown or syncretic parties
- New Han People's Peninsula Peace Party (신한반도체제평화당), pan-Korean nationalism and Cheondoism, claims to support the unification of not only the Korean Peninsula, but of lands where Koreans are located in China, Russia, and Japan as well. Merged with Chungcheong's Future Party to create Towards Tomorrow, Towards the Future. (2021-2023)
- Functional Self-Employment Party (직능자영업당), (single-issue) merged into Towards Tomorrow, Towards the Future. (2020-2024)
See also
- List of ruling political parties by country
- Politics of South Korea
- Conservatism in South Korea
- Liberalism in South Korea
- Progressivism in South Korea
Notes
- ^ an unregistered left-wing to far-left political party. It is unable to register due to a ban on openly socialist or communist parties under the National Security Act.
References
- ^ Wong, Joseph (2015). "South Korea's Weakly Institutionalized Party System". Party System Institutionalization in Asia: Democracies, Autocracies, and the Shadows of the Past. Cambridge University Press. pp. 260–279.
- ^ Wong, Joseph (2012). "Transitioning from a dominant party system to multi-party system: The case of South Korea". Friend or Foe? Dominant Party Systems in Southern Africa: Insights from the Developing World. United Nations University Press. pp. 68–84.
- ^ The Democratic Party of Korea is described as a centrist party by numerous sources:
- "Democratic Party of Korea". Britannica.com. 3 January 2024.
Democratic Party of Korea (DP), Korean Daeburo Minjudang, centrist-liberal political party in South Korea.
- "Political Populism: Eroding Asia's Complex Interdependence? – Analysis". Eurasia Review. 1 November 2019.
The South Korean President Moon Jae-in's centrist-liberal Democratic Party has also reflected and tactically deployed the considerable popular nationalist sentiment in South Korean society as he vowed in early August that in the escalating bilateral trade dispute the country would "never again lose to Japan".
- "South Korea: Economic and Political Outline". Santander. July 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
The Minjoo Party: centre, socially liberal main opposition party, result of a 2014 merger between the Democratic Party and the New Political Vision Party, first party in the Parliament since August 2017
- "The Justice Party and the South Korean Left: A movement with potential, but divided and struggling". Europe Elects. 14 November 2019.
With most of national politics dominated by the centrist Democratic Party and the right-wing Liberty Korea Party (자유한국당), successor to the former governing Saenuri Party, there is little space for the Justice Party to find an opening for electoral success.
- "Topic Brief - Academy Model United Nations" (PDF). ACADEMY MODEL UNITED NATIONS XXI.
- Ahn, JH (19 September 2016). "South Korea split over whether to aid "arch-nemesis" in flood relief". NK news.org.
Her party, Saenuri, has also remained silent on the issue, in sharp contrast to centrist Minjoo Party [sic], which on Monday urged Seoul to look beyond politics and help its neighbor.
- Nomi Prins, ed. (2022). Permanent Distortion: How the Financial Markets Abandoned the Real Economy Forever. Hachette UK. ISBN 9781541789074.
- "Democratic Party of Korea". Britannica.com. 3 January 2024.
- ^
- "Moon Jae-in: South Korean liberal claims presidency". BBC. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
Mr Moon, of the centre-left Democratic Party, unsuccessfully ran against Ms Park in 2012 elections.
- "Seoul's mayor found dead in presumed suicide after #MeToo allegation". France 24. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
A heavyweight figure in the ruling centre-left Democratic party, Park ran South Korea's sprawling capital -- home to almost a fifth of the national population -- for nearly a decade.
- "S.Korea elects conservative outsider as president in tectonic shift". Reuters. 9 March 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
Official results showed Yoon, 61, edged out the ruling centre-left Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung to replace Moon, whose single five-year term ends in May.
- ""This is not the end": S. Korean activist ends 46-day hunger strike for anti-discrimination act". The Hankyoreh. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
During the press conference, activists directed their most scathing indictments at the center-left Democratic Party, which despite holding the outright majority in the National Assembly (167 seats) has failed to actively push for the law's enactment.
- "Moon Jae-in: South Korean liberal claims presidency". BBC. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- ^ "¹ý¾È Ç¥°á·Î º» ±¹È¸ÀÇ¿ø 300¸í À̳伺Çâ - ·¹ÀÌ´õP". m.raythep.com/. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
- ^ 조성 (July 20, 2018). 독일 정치 우리의 대 (in Korean). e지식의 날개. ISBN 9788920032370 – via Google Books.
- ^ ""국민 생명이 먼저" 정의당, 북에도 할 말 하겠다는 '신노선'". The Hankyoreh. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ "정의당도 요구한 對北 규탄결의안, 민주당 "北 이미 사과했다" 버티기". The Chosun Ilbo. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ "Female prosecutor opens up about sexual harassment". koreaherald. 30 January 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2020. "Members of the far-left minor opposition Minjung Party protest, demanding the Prosecution’s apology and an investigation into a female prosecutor’s sexual harassment allegations, in front of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in Seoul on Tuesday."
- ^ "[4·15 총선 앗싸①] '극좌'에서 '극우'까지 ... '배당금黨'에 '결혼당'도 출현" [[April 15 general elections] From 'far left' to 'far right' ... 'Dividend Party' and 'Marriage Party' have also emerged.]. 뉴스웍스. 26 January 2020.
- ^ "[보도자료] 김재연 후보, 유엔 총회 앞두고 "남북교류협력 가로막는 대북제재 해제하라"". Progressive Party.
- ^ ""KIM OVERSEES MISSILE TEST"". KBS. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- ^ "중앙당 등록공고(대한국민당)".
- ^ "국민대통합당". pgup.or.kr.
- ^ "공고 | 위원회소식 | 알림마당 | 중앙선거관리위원회".
- ^ "중앙당 등록공고(통일한국당)".
- ^ "정의당 전·현직 당직자 60여명 탈당, 새 진보정당 만든다". 6 July 2023.
- ^ "공고 | 위원회소식 | 알림마당 | 중앙선거관리위원회".
- ^ "'새로운물결' 창당 선언한 김동연 "별칭은 '오징어당'…정치 바꾸겠다"". 조선비즈. October 24, 2021.
- ^ "국민의힘, 시대전환 흡수 합당…조정훈 합류로 112석".
- ^ Yonhap News Agency, December 19, 2014, [1], “...South Korea's Constitutional Court on Friday ordered the dissolution of a pro-North Korean minor opposition party...”
- ^ "'노동당·사회변혁노동자당' 통합정당 2월5일 출범 < 정당 < 정치ㆍ경제 < 기사본문 - 매일노동뉴스". 18 January 2022.
Bibliography
- The present state of registered political parties[permanent dead link], National Election Commission of S. Korea.
- The present state of political parties registration, National Election Commission of S. Korea, May 29, 2008.
| Sovereign states |
|
|---|---|
| States with limited recognition | |
| Dependencies and other territories |
|
