Why did Lee Jun-seok resign as New Reform Party leader after the June 3 local elections?

Lee said he stepped down to take responsibility for the party’s defeat. He said he had proposed reforms after the elections but could not secure enough support from within the party.

How badly did the New Reform Party perform in the June 3 local elections?

The party won no major mayoral or gubernatorial posts and no parliamentary seats. It took only one local council seat, which Lee Jun-seok cited as part of the reason for his resignation.

Minor party leader resigns to take responsibility for local election defeat

Q: What internal problems did the New Reform Party face after the election defeat?

The party fell into further disarray after one candidate, Jeong Yi-han, was arrested and indicted on charges of staging an assault on himself. The case was described as an apparent attempt to woo voters ahead of the elections.

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Summary

Rep. Lee Jun-seok resigned as leader of the minor opposition New Reform Party on Wednesday in Seoul to take responsibility for the party’s defeat in the June 3 local elections. He said he had proposed reforms after the elections but could not win enough support inside the party. The party won no major mayoral or gubernatorial posts and no parliamentary seats, taking only one local council seat. Rep. Chun Ha-ram is expected to serve as acting party leader.

Key Facts

The New Reform Party won only one local council seat in the June 3 local elections.
It failed to win any of the 16 major mayoral and gubernatorial posts or the 14 parliamentary seats up for grabs.
Rep. Chun Ha-ram is expected to serve as acting party leader after Lee Jun-seok’s resignation.

By Yonhap

Published Aug 26, 2026 9:51 am KST

Rep. Lee Jun-seok of the minor opposition New Reform Party speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

The leader of the minor opposition New Reform Party stepped down Wednesday to take responsibility for the party's defeat in the June 3 local elections.

Rep. Lee Jun-seok announced the decision during a press conference at the National Assembly, saying he had made several proposals to reform the party since the elections but failed to gain sufficient support from within.

"This is no one's fault," he said. "The responsibility for failing to persuade others lies entirely with me as the party leader."

The minor party failed to win any of the 16 major mayoral and gubernatorial posts or the 14 parliamentary seats up for grabs in the June 3 elections, winning just one local council seat.

The party fell into further disarray when one of its candidates, Jeong Yi-han, was arrested and indicted on charges of staging an assault on himself, in an apparent attempt to woo voters ahead of the elections.

Rep. Chun Ha-ram, the party's floor leader, is expected to serve as acting party leader following Lee's resignation.

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