Young third-party contender falls short in presidential race

Reform Party presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok speaks to the press following the release of exit poll results at the party’s vote-counting situation room in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Reform Party presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok garnered just 8.34 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s election, placing third and falling short of expectations.

According to the National Election Commission, Wednesday, Lee received approximately 2.92 million votes nationwide. The result marked a disappointing finish for the former conservative leader, who had cast himself as a serious alternative to the two major party candidates.

Lee, at 40, was the youngest presidential hopeful in the race. His campaign centered on winning support from voters in their 20s and 30s with policy pledges targeting youth concerns — including a proposed overhaul of the national pension system.

Seen as a relatively centrist figure, he was expected to draw support from both liberals and conservatives.

He also stood firm in refusing to unify with Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party, maintaining his stance as "the third candidate."

However, Lee suffered a major setback following the third televised presidential debate on May 27, after making a sexually explicit comment that drew widespread condemnation as misogynistic and undermined his campaign’s momentum.

During the final round of live debates, Lee asked Kwon Young-gook of the minor progressive Korean Democratic Labor Party, "If someone says they want to stick chopsticks into women’s genitals, would this constitute misogyny?"

The comment drew immediate criticism across the political spectrum and civil society, with women’s groups vowing legal action and rival parties calling for an apology.

Around 10 p.m. Tuesday, following the release of exit poll results, Lee stated that he takes full responsibility for the outcome.

"I want to thank every party member, supporter and citizen who backed us," Lee said after arriving at the Reform Party’s ballot count situation room. "I believe the Reform Party has now firmly positioned itself as a party that has successfully completed both the general and presidential elections."

He added, "We will carefully review what we did right and where we fell short, and aim to take the party a step further in the local elections exactly one year from now."

Meanwhile, Lee appears likely to face criticism within the conservative bloc for rejecting a unified candidacy, citing the need for generational change. Some observers believe his decision not to consolidate the conservative vote may have played a decisive role in the Democratic Party of Korea’s Lee Jae-myung securing a landslide victory.