List of political parties in South Korea

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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[edit]

Parties represented in the National Assembly[edit]

Party Abbr. Leader Floor leader Ideology Political position Policy toward North National Assembly
Parliamentary group  
DPK Lee Jae-myung Park Hong-keun Liberalism (South Korean) Centre[3] to centre-left[4] Pro-Sunshine Policy
153 / 300
 
PPP Han Dong-hoon Yoon Jae-ok Conservatism (South Korean) Right-wing Anti-North
114 / 300
Without parliamentary group
JP Kim Jun-woo Sim Sang-jung Centre-left to left-wing[a] Moderate[b]
6 / 300
  • New Future
  • 새로운미래
  • 새로운未來
  • Saerounmirae
NFP Lee Nak-yon Kim Jong-min Centrist reformism N/A N/A
5 / 300
NRP Lee Jun-seok Yang Hyang-ja Conservatism[9] N/A
4 / 300
BIP Mun Mi-jeong Yong Hye-in Universal basic income Single-issue None
1 / 300
RKP Cho Kuk Hwang Un-ha Progressivism
Liberalism
Reformism
Centre-left Pro-Sunshine Policy[10]
1 / 300
LUP Jeon Kwang-hoon Hwangbo Seung-hee Korean nationalism
Anti-communism
Anti-Islam
Far-right Anti-North
1 / 300
PP Yoon Hee-suk Kang Sung-hee Progressivism (South Korean) Left-wing[c] Strongly pro-Sunshine Policy[13]
1 / 300
  1. ^ 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]
  2. ^ 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]
  3. ^ 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.[11][12] 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[edit]

Conservative parties[edit]

Centrist (or conservative liberal) parties[edit]

Liberal parties[edit]

Progressive parties[edit]

Single-issue parties[edit]

Unknown stances, third position, or syncretic parties[edit]

of 10 minor conservative parties. Formerly known as the Chungcheong's Future Party. (2020-2023)

Parties in formation[edit]

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
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.
Financial Reform Party
금융개혁당
17 January 2024 Shin Mi-sook 16 June 2024
Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Party
대한상공인당
5 February 2024 Jeong Jae-hoon 5 August 2024 Represents the rights of small business owners , self-employed people , small and medium-sized enterprises , and merchants , as well as socially and policy-vulnerable groups such as youth , the disabled , and North Korean defectors.
Pine Tree Party
소나무당
13 Feb 2024 Song Young-gil 13 August 2024 A party created by former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil.
K-Politics Alliance
K정치연합
14 February 2024 Ryu Jong-yeol 14 August 2024
Korean People's Peace Party
한민족평화당
16 February 2024 Do Cheon-soo 16 August 2024
Direct Democratic Local Self-Governing Party
직접민주지역자치당
27 February 2024 Im Hyeong-tae 27 August 2024 A unified national party of multiple regional parties, as the Constitution of the Republic of Korea does not allow for local or regionalist political parties.

Defunct parties[edit]

Timeline of all mainstream political parties

Conservative parties[edit]

Mainstream parties[edit]

Minor parties[edit]

Liberal parties[edit]

Mainstream parties[edit]

Minor parties[edit]

Progressive parties[edit]

Green parties[edit]

Unknown or syncretic parties[edit]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ 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[edit]

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ The Democratic Party of Korea is described as a centrist party by numerous sources:
  4. ^
  5. ^ "¹ý¾È Ç¥°á·Î º» ±¹È¸ÀÇ¿ø 300¸í À̳伺Çâ - ·¹ÀÌ´õP". m.raythep.com/. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  6. ^ 조성 (July 20, 2018). 독일 정치 우리의 대 (in Korean). e지식의 날개. ISBN 9788920032370 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ ""국민 생명이 먼저" 정의당, 북에도 할 말 하겠다는 '신노선'". The Hankyoreh. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  8. ^ "정의당도 요구한 對北 규탄결의안, 민주당 "北 이미 사과했다" 버티기". The Chosun Ilbo. 28 September 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  9. ^ ""KIM OVERSEES MISSILE TEST"". KBS. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  10. ^ "조국혁신당". www.xn--3e0b68h6spymf.kr. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
  11. ^ "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."
  12. ^ "[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.
  13. ^ "[보도자료] 김재연 후보, 유엔 총회 앞두고 "남북교류협력 가로막는 대북제재 해제하라"". Progressive Party.
  14. ^ "중앙당 등록공고(대한국민당)".
  15. ^ "국민대통합당". pgup.or.kr.
  16. ^ "공고 | 위원회소식 | 알림마당 | 중앙선거관리위원회".
  17. ^ "중앙당 등록공고(통일한국당)".
  18. ^ "공고 | 위원회소식 | 알림마당 | 중앙선거관리위원회".
  19. ^ "'새로운물결' 창당 선언한 김동연 "별칭은 '오징어당'…정치 바꾸겠다"". 조선비즈. October 24, 2021.
  20. ^ "국민의힘, 시대전환 흡수 합당…조정훈 합류로 112석".
  21. ^ 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...”
  22. ^ "'노동당·사회변혁노동자당' 통합정당 2월5일 출범 < 정당 < 정치ㆍ경제 < 기사본문 - 매일노동뉴스". 18 January 2022.

Bibliography[edit]