Ex-minor presidential candidate Lee retakes leadership of Reform Party

Rep. Lee Jun-seok, new leader of the minor conservative Reform Party, smiles after winning the party leadership election at the National Assembly in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap

Rep. Lee Jun-seok, who ran in last month's presidential election, reclaimed the leadership of the minor conservative party he founded, as he was elected its new leader Sunday.

Lee of the Reform Party garnered 25,254 votes, or 98.22 percent of the total, at the party's national convention held at the National Assembly. Lee ran unopposed in the party leadership race.

The party also elected Kim Sung-yeol and two others as members of its Supreme Council, based on a combined score of votes among the party members and public opinion polls.

Lee launched the Reform Party in January last year ahead of the parliamentary election that earned him the first Assembly seat.

Lee ran in the June 3 presidential election this year against then major rivals Lee Jae Myung of the Democratic Party of Korea and Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party, finishing in third place.