People Power Party 국민의힘 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | PPP |
| Leader | Jang Dong-hyeok |
| Secretary-General | Jeong Jeom-sig |
| Floor Leader | Song Eon-seok [ko] |
| Chair of the Policy Planning Committee | Kim Jung-jae |
| Founded | 17 February 2020; 5 years ago (2020-02-17) (as theUnited Future Party) 31 August 2020; 5 years ago (2020-08-31) (current form) |
| Merger of | ... and others
|
| Headquarters | 12, Gukhoe-Daero 74 Street,Yeouido-dong,Yeongdeungpo-gu,Seoul, South Korea |
| Membership(2023) |  4,449,281[1] |
| Ideology | Conservatism (South Korean)[a] Authoritarian conservatism[2] |
| Political position | Right-wing tofar-right[b] |
| Regional affiliation | Asia Pacific Democracy Union |
| International affiliation | International Democracy Union |
| Satellite party | |
| Colours | Red[c] |
| National Assembly | 107 / 300 |
| Metropolitan Mayors and Governors | 11 / 17 |
| Municipal Mayors | 140 / 226 |
| Provincial and Metropolitan Councillors | 522 / 872 |
| Municipal Councillors | 1,432 / 2,988 |
| Party flag | |
 | |
| Website | |
| peoplepowerparty.kr | |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 국민의힘 |
| Hanja | 國民의힘 |
| RR | Gungminui him |
| MR | Kungminŭi him |
| United Future Party | |
| Hangul | 미래통합당 |
| Hanja | 未來統合黨 |
| RR | Mirae tonghapdang |
| MR | Mirae t'onghaptang |
ThePeople Power Party (PPP;Korean: 국민의힘;lit. Power of Nationals) is aconservative[a] andright-wing[d] tofar-rightpolitical party in South Korea. It is the second-largest party in theNational Assembly. The PPP, along with its historic rival theDemocratic Party, make up the two largest political parties in South Korea.
The PPP was founded as the United Future Party (UFP) on 17 February 2020 through the merger of theLiberty Korea Party,New Conservative Party, andOnward for Future 4.0, as well as several minor parties and political organizations. It contested the2020 legislative election together with itssatellite party, theFuture Korea Party; the alliance achieved the worst conservative result since1960. The party renamed to the People Power Party on 31 August 2020. It achieved electoral success in the2021 by-elections. In2022, PPP presidential candidateYoon Suk Yeol was elected as the president of South Korea, followed by PPP victories in the2022 local elections. Due to the unpopularity of the Yoon administration, the party lost the2024 legislative election. Yoon declaredmartial law in December 2024, prompting hisimpeachment. In2025, PPP candidateKim Moon-soo lost the presidential election to Democratic Party candidateLee Jae Myung, returning PPP to the opposition.
The PPP is generally seen as right-wing andconservative. It supportseconomic liberalism andfiscal conservatism, and has been described associally conservative, hostile towardsfeminism andcommunism. It favors strengthening South Korea'salliance with the United States, as well as improvingrelations with Japan. The PPP takes a hawkish stance towards North Korea, as well as an ambigious stance on relations with China.
Due to thepolitical scandal in 2016, PresidentPark Geun-hye was impeached, and several members of parliament (MPs) quit the then-ruling Liberty Korea Party (LKP) to form theBareun Party.[13] Following theimpeachment of Park on 10 March 2017, the LKPde jure lost its ruling party position.[14] After the Democratic presidential candidateMoon Jae-in was elected on 9 May,[15] the LKP officially became the main opposition. Although several Bareun MPs returned to the LKP, the party did not fully recover, losing ground in the2018 local elections.[16] The LKP president,Hong Joon-pyo, resigned to take responsibility for the defeat.[16] TheBareunmirae Party, formed from a merger between the Bareun Party and the smaller,centristPeople's Party, also faced a defeat in the 2018 local elections.[17]
The two conservative parties held snap leadership elections.On 2 September 2018, the Bareunmirae Party electedSohn Hak-kyu as its new president.[18]On 27 February 2019, the Liberty Korea Party elected former Prime MinisterHwang Kyo-ahn as its new leader.[19]Lee Un-ju, a Bareunmirae MP, quit her party[20] and was widely expected to join the LKP,[21] but formed a new party named Onward for Future 4.0.[22] With the exit of the Bareunmirae Party's President Sohn, other former Bareunmirae MPs faced conflicts and founded the New Conservative Party.[23] As a "conservative union", the Liberty Korea Party, Onward for Future 4.0, and the New Conservative Party agreed to merge and establish a new party.[24]
The new party's name was initially set as theGrand Unified New Party (대통합신당),[25] but soon changed toUnited Future Party (미래통합당).[26]Park Heong-joon, who led the merger and re-foundation, explained that the name shows support for youths and political solidarity.[27]
Following the merger and re-foundation of the three conservative parties into the United Future Party (UFP) on 17 February 2020,[28] it elected the Liberty Korea Party's President Hwang Kyo-ahn as the president.[29] Though much of the UFP's leadership resembles that of the LKP, Vice PresidentsWon Hee-ryong and Kim Young-hwan are not from the LKP.[29]
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the Democratic Party LeaderLee Hae-chan congratulated the new party's founding, but the move was not welcomed by other members.[clarification needed][30] Some sources reported that the party was planning to file a lawsuit against Moon.[31][32][33]Yoo Seong-min, the former Bareunmirae president, did not attend the founding congress.[34] Yoo Young-ha, who is in support of Park Geun-hye, exited the LKP before the formation of the new party.[35]
The party contested the2020 elections with its sistersatellite party, theFuture Korea Party (FKP). However, some UFP candidates, such asCha Myong-jin and Kim Dae-ho, provoked controversies for defamatory remarks.[36] The party was defeated in the election with some of the worst results historically for a conservative party in South Korea. The UFP won 103 out of 300 seats in the National Assembly, slightly over one-third of the seats.[37] The party lost several key figures, includingOh Se-hoon,Na Kyung-won,Shim Jae-chul, andKim Jin-tae.[38][39] Party LeaderHwang Kyo-ahn, who contested forJongno, was defeated by formerPrime MinisterLee Nak-yeon.[40]
After the election, Hwang announced that he would stand down as the party president.[41][42] Following Hwang's resignation, it was reported that the party would temporarily establish the Emergency Planning Committee, led byKim Chong-in.[43] Several members, such asKim Young-woo [ko], disagreed with the establishment of the committee.[44] Hong Jun-pyo, who showed an intention to return to the UFP, also opposed the proposal[45] and revealed Kim's past corruption allegations.[46]
On 8 May,Joo Ho-young was elected the UFP's Floor Leader, automatically becoming the party's interim Leader.[47][48] On 22 May, the party held an election to nominate Kim Chong-in as the interim President until the nextby-elections on 7 April 2021,[49] which he accepted.[50][51] The same day, the FKP announced its merger by 29 May.[49] On 28 May, both the UFP and FKP officially declared their merger as the unified UFP.[52]
On 13 August, Realmeter had revealed an opinion poll showing that the party has gained more supporters than the ruling Democratic Party (UFP: 36.5%–DP: 33.4%).[53] This was the first time that a conservative party gained more support than a liberal party since the political scandal of regarding President Park Geun-hye in October 2016.[53]
On 31 August, the party decided to change its name to thePeople Power (국민의힘; the "Party" was added later[54]).[55][56][57] The party requested that the name be changed to theNational Election Commission.[56] It has been argued that the new proposed name was similar to the minor centrist People Party ofAhn Cheol-soo.[56][57] There were speculations that the party was willing to form an electoral alliance with the People Party in the 2021 by-elections.[56][57]Jung Chung-rae, an MP of the Democratic Party, criticised the name for being too similar to a civic organisation established in 2003, where he used to serve as the first co-president.[58][59]
On 2 September, the party officially changed its name to the People Power Party, its current name.[60][61][58][59] The PPP declared that it would be a centrist andpragmatic party.[59] On 14 September, the party revealed its logo and its 3 colors—red, yellow, and blue,[62] based on temporary decisions.[63] These colors were officially confirmed on 23 September, although yellow was replaced with white.[64]
On 17 September,Kweon Seong-dong, the MP forGangneung, officially returned to the PPP, leading the party to have 104 seats.[65] He left the party before the 2020 elections, where he ran as an independent candidate.[65] The PPP's total seats were reverted to 103 afterPark Duk-hyum [ko], the MP forBoeun-Okcheon-Yeongdong-Goesan, quit the party on 23 September following corruption allegations.[66] He denied all allegations related to him and his family.[66] On 22 December,Jeon Bong-min [ko;zh], the MP forSuyeong, quit the party following corruption allegations against himself and his father.[67] On 7 January 2021,Kim Byong-wook [ko;zh], the MP forPohang South-Ulleung, withdrew from the PPP due to a controversy related tosexual harassment.[68] The same day,Kim Tae-ho, the formerGovernor of South Gyeongsang and the incumbent MP forSancheong-Hamyang-Geochang-Hapcheon, officially rejoined the party.[69]
Before the2021 by-elections, the party elected the formerMayor of SeoulOh Se-hoon as itsSeoul mayoral candidate, as well as the former MP for Suyeong,Park Heong-joon as itsBusanmayoral candidate on 4 March 2021.[70][71] In the by-elections on 7 April, the party achieved an outright victory due the Moon government's low popularity, with both Oh and Park being elected by a large margin.[72] Oh Se-hoon, who formerly stepped down as the Mayor of Seoul in 2011, defeated the Democratic candidatePark Young-sun and successfully came back to the position.[72] Park Hyung-joon also defeated the Democratic candidateKim Young-choon and was elected the Mayor of Busan, despite his several controversies, such asHaeundae LCT The Sharp.[72] The same day, the MP forGimcheonSong Eon-seok [ko], faced public backlash after it was reported that he was cursing and assaulting office workers.[73][74][75] He quit the party on 14 April.[76]
On 8 April 2021, Joo Ho-young returned as the interim President of the party.[77] He announced his intention to resign as the parliamentary leader on 16 April, adding that he would not serve until his term finishes on 29 May, but instead, until a new person is elected.[78][79] The same day, the party declared that they will continue the processes to merge the minor People Party.[78][79] On 30 April, the formerMayor of UlsanKim Gi-hyeon was elected the new parliamentary leader of the party, defeatingKim Tae-heum [ko;zh],Kweon Seong-dong, andYu Eui-dong.[80] He served as the acting party President until theleadership election[80] that was held on 11 June.[81][82]
On 21 May, Kim Byong-wook, who quit the party in January following a sexual harassment controversy, officially returned to the PPP.[83][84] On 11 June,Lee Jun-seok was elected the new President of the party, defeatingNa Kyung-won and others.[85][86] On 24 June, the party approved an independent MP Hong Joon-pyo's bid to rejoin.[87][88] On 15 July,Choi Jae-hyung, one of the potential candidate for the2022 presidential election, officially joined the party.[89][90] On 30 July, the formerProsecutor GeneralYoon Suk Yeol, who was also the most favorable candidate for the 2020 presidential election, officially joined the party.[91][92][93] On 5 August,Yoon Sang-hyun, the MP forIncheon East-Michuhol 2nd, rejoined the party, and therefore all 4 PPP-friendly independent MPs successfully returned.[94][95][96]
On 5 November 2021, Yoon Suk Yeol won the PPP presidential primary, defeating Hong Joon-pyo.[97][98][99][100] In the presidential election on 9 March 2022, Yoon was elected President of South Korea, defeatingLee Jae Myung by a margin of 0.73%.[101] The party also had significant wins at theMarch 2022 by-elections that was held along with the presidential election; the party regained 4 out of 5 National Assembly constituencies.[102] Although the party did not contest forDaeguCentral-South,Lim Byung-hun, a pro-PPP independent candidate, was elected.[102] This increased the total number of the PPP MPs, from 106 to 110.[102]
On 8 April, Kweon Seong-dong was elected parliamentary leader of the People Power Party, defeatingCho Hae-jin [ko].[103][104][105][106] On 18 April 2022, the minor People Party led byAhn Cheol-soo merged into the PPP.[107]
.jpg)
Following Yoon's inauguration as the President on 9 May, the PPP achieved an outright victory in thelocal elections on 1 June.[108][109]
In August 2022, the party leader Lee Jun-seok, who took a critical stance towards Yoon, was removed from his position.[110] The rules of the party convention were limited to 100% of the party member vote, excluding public opinion polls.Yoo Seong-min, a moderate candidate who ranked first in public opinion polls, criticised the change as a way to discredit him. After the Hanbyeon rule change, a number offar-right politicians who insisted on conspiracy theories about fraudulent elections ran for the PPP primary.[111][112]
Yoon was criticised for attempting to influence the primary in the party leadership race. The rule account for 100% party vote to prevent the election of a candidate critical of the president was also made after the president addressed party lawmakers.[113]Na Kyung-won, who wanted to run for the primary, declared that she would not run.Yoo Seong-min, who was judged to have no chance of winning due to the rule change, also gave up running for the primary. Criticisms were raised in various media outlets that the president intervened excessively in the primary by not maintaining neutrality and excessively pushing certain candidates.[114]
After Na Kyung-won resigned from her candidacy in favour ofKim Gi-hyeon, the election turned into a two-way race between Ahn Cheol-soo and Kim. In this situation, the presidential office sent a friendly message to Kim and called Ahn an "enemy".[citation needed] In addition, members of the "pro-Yoon" faction who supported Kim argued that Ahn took a friendly stance toward progressive intellectuals in the past, saying that he was "a person who respects communists" and "pro-North Korea leftists".[115] The final four candidates for the primary party presidency elections were Cheon Ah-ram, Hwang Kyo-ahn, Kim Gi-hyeon, and Ahn Cheol-soo.[citation needed] On 8 March 2023, Kim Gi-hyeon was elected President of the party. In the primary for the supreme council, all five out of five pro-Yoon candidates were elected. Non-Yoon candidates inside the party criticised that the primary was conducted very unfairly.[116]
On 7 April,Yoon Jae-ok, the MP forDalseo B, was elected parliamentary leader of the party, defeatingKim Hack-yong.[117] The party brought in theIhn Yo-han Innovation Committee after losing in the by-election for Gangseo-gu mayor. Party leader Kim Gi-hyeon said he would hand over full authority to the innovation committee chairman.[118] Due to the unpopularity of the Yoon administration, the party lost the2024 legislative election, with prime ministerHan Duck-soo heading a minority government.
After President Yoon declaredmartial law on 4 December 2024, six opposition parties proposed animpeachment bill against President Yoon. However, the PPP opposed the impeachment of President Yoon and adopted this as its party line.[119] The impeachment bill was submitted to a vote in the National Assembly on 7 December 2024. Due to the PPP boycotting the vote, the impeachment motion failed as it could not be voted on due to a failedquorum of 200 members.[120][121][122] Amid public anger over the motion's failure, several PPP lawmakers' offices were vandalized, while others received funeral wreaths with messages such as "insurrection accomplices" written.[123] A box cutter was also found at the residence of MP Kim Jae-sub. A petition filed at the National Assembly website calling for the PPP's dissolution garnered more than 171,000 signatures,[124] exceeding the 50,000 needed to have the proposal submitted to the relevant standing committee.[125]
On 14 December 2024, a second impeachment motion against Yoon passed in the National Assembly with 204 out of 300 lawmakers in favor. This time, 12 of its members supported the measure.[126] As a result, all five members of the PPP's Supreme Council resigned, prompting the formation of an emergency response committee system to lead the party in accordance with its regulations.[127] This was followed by the resignation of PPP leader Han Dong-hoon on 16 December.[128] Kweon Seong-dong became acting party leader. On 24 December, the party nominated Kwon Young-se to head its emergency committee.[129]
Following the termination of Yoon's presidency by theConstitutional Court of Korea,Kim Moon-soo was nominated as the party's candidate in the general election in2025. On 10 May, Kim's nomination was cancelled and he was replaced by former acting president and prime minister Han Duck-soo, but was later reinstated as the party's nominee. Former PPP leaderHwang Kyo-ahn initially ran as an Independent, but withdrew shortly before election day, endorsing Kim. Ahead of South Korea's 2025 presidential election, Yoon Suk Yeol called for unity among conservatives. However, his appeal drew criticism from reformist members, includingHan Dong-hoon andCho Kyoung-tae, who argue that his past actions have deepened internal divisions and hindered the party's electoral prospects.[130][131] Kim lost the election to former DPK leaderLee Jae Myung, with former PPP leader andReform Party candidateLee Jun-seok splitting many conservative-leaning votes.
The PPP did not fully reject Yoon in the aftermath of the martial law crisis, and its popularity has declined among the public due to its association with the martial law.[132][133] In August 2025, the PPP electedJang Dong-hyeok, who had previously opposed the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol. The PPP Supreme Council also continued to be dominated by pro-Yoon politicians.[134]
Both the PPP and theDemocratic Party (DPK) are embroiled in apolitical scandal involving allegations of receiving illegal political funds and donations from theUnification Church (sometimes informally called Moonies).[135][136] On 11 September 2025, the National Assembly approved a motion to arrest former PPP floor leaderKweon Seong-dong on charges of bribery from the Unification Church.[137]
On 7 January 2026, party leader Jang Dong-hyeok publicly apologized for the martial law crisis for the first time and announced that the party would undergo a name change.[138]
While the PPP does not officially have any organized factions, there exists loosely organized, informal factions within the party. As of January 2026, the party is mainly divided into big-tent pro-Yoon and anti-Yoon factions, while non-aligned members form a minority.[139]
.png)
"Chin-Yoon" (친윤;lit. 'pro-Yoon') is the dominant faction of the PPP, often described as being on the party'sfar-right that supports former PresidentYoon Suk Yeol.[140] In the aftermath of theSouth Korean martial law crisis, many members of the pro-Yoon faction refused to condemn Yoon nor his declaration of martial law, instead advocating for his reinstatement prior to and after his impeachment by supporting the "Yoon Again" campaign.[141] Key figures of the Pro-Yoon circle are often referred to as "Yoon haek-gwan" (윤핵관).[142] Supporters of the Pro-Yoon faction generally holdultraconservative andanti-communist views, with some being especially hostile toward China and North Korea.[143] These views have been accompanied by baseless election fraud claims regarding the2025 presidential election, with some far-right Pro-YoonYouTubers such asJeon Han-gil alleging Chinese involvement.[144]
Top figures within the party such as former presidential candidateKim Moon-soo and current party leaderJang Dong-hyeok have both been referred to as part of the pro-Yoon faction.[145]
.jpg)
.png)
"Ban-Yoon" (반윤;lit. anti-Yoon) is aright-wing big-tent faction of the PPP consisting of members who are critical of Yoon Suk Yeol. There exists several sub factions within the anti-Yoon faction, with the most prominent being the pro-Han Dong-hoon faction which voted in favor of lifting Yoon's martial law.[146] Since the martial law crisis, the pro-Han faction has been defined by its opposition to Yoon Suk Yeol and support formoderate conservatism.[147] Other anti-Yoon PPP politicians such asAhn Cheol-soo andYoo Seong-min are defined by theireconomically liberal andpaternalistic conservative ideologies.[148][156]
The People Power Party is abig tent conservative political party.[157] The PPP is broadly considered to beconservative,national-conservative,[158] andanti-communist,[159][160] though political spectrums inside it range frommoderate conservative toultraconservative.[161] The People's Power Party is mainly described as right-wing.[d][162] The party has also been described asfar-right, especially since the2024 martial law crisis.[b]
In the past, conservative political parties in South Korea supportedeconomic interventionism due to the historical influence ofPark Chung Hee. However, the PPP is now more economically liberal,[167][168] pro-business[159] and supportsfiscal conservatism.[169][170][171]
The PPP issocially conservative[172][173][174][175] and advocates traditional family values, and national patriotism.[176] PPP and its politicians have taken a hostile stance againstfeminism.[172][177] Some young right-wing politicians in the PPP also supportIdaenam.
PPP has voiced opposition to the Democratic Party's policy of attempting to regulatedog meat consumption. Yang Joon-woo, a spokesman for PPP, said in 2021 that the "state does not have the right to regulate individual tastes or eating habits".[178] However, in 2023, PPP announced their plans to introduce a bill that would ban dog meat consumption by 2027, with the bill is enacted by the end of 2023.[179][180][181] The PPP advocates for the abolishment of the "Korean age" and the standardisation of age counting in South Korea. Lee Yong-ho, the chief of Yoon's transition committee, said the different age counting methods in the country creates "persistent confusion" and "unnecessary social and economic costs".[182]
As South Korea's birthrate continued dropping lower, key politicians in the PPP have started moving away from the conservative immigration policies of the past and have begun to support a more liberal approach. The Yoon administration supported the creation of "Korea Border and Immigration Agency" (이민청); proposals regarding the agency were discussed and failed during the past liberalKim Dae-jung government.[183] On the other hand, the party's position onforeign voting rights is more restrictive, arguing that "foreigners from countries that do not grant voting rights to South Koreans living abroad should be deprived of all voting rights."[184][185]
PPP has generally taken a friendly stance towards the United States. PPP's conservative wing is generally more pro-United States. President Yoon has taken an overwhelmingly pro-American policy compared to previous presidents by moving high-tech supply chains and production to the United States,[186] as well as signing military agreements with the US.[187]
PPP's position on China is ambiguous, but sometimes critical. However, conservatives in South Korea place more importance on economic pragmatism thanliberals, meaning they try to avoid friction with China.[188] PPP has stated that it views China and North Korea separately; after Yoon wrote an Instagram caption signalling "myeolkong", meaning "destroy communists".[189] However, the PPP has politically exploitedanti-Chinese sentiment for political gains, including by spreading conspiracy theories about Chinese nationals,[190] which has led to an increase to hate speech and violence againstChinese people.[191] PPP officials have also supported restrictions on Chinese nationals and opposed an increase in Chinese tourists, as well as opposing measures to give Chinese tourists visa-free access.[192][193]
In regards to Japan, the PPP has a more conciliatory approach compared to the more hawkish Democratic Party. The PPP does not seek direct compensation or apology from the Japanese government and companies for victims of forced labor, awar crime committed by the Empire of Japan and Japanese companies during World War II, instead supporting receiving voluntary donations from South Korean companies through a foundation.[194] The PPP is fiercely anti-communist and advocates a hawkish policy against North Korea.[195] This has led them to usually perform well electorally in constituencies that border theKorean Demilitarized Zone. Many PPP politicians support South Korea havingnuclear weapons on its own in order to counter North Korea's nuclear weapons.[196]
| No. | Name | Photo | Term of office | ᅠElection resultsᅠ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | ||||
| 1 | Hwang Kyo-ahn (resigned) |  | 17 February 2020 | 15 April 2020 | No election |
| — | Shim Jae-chul (acting) |  | 16 April 2020 | 8 May 2020 | Succeeded |
| — | Joo Ho-young (acting) |  | 8 May 2020 | 27 May 2020 | Succeeded |
| — | Kim Chong-in (ERC) | .jpg) | 27 May 2020 | 8 April 2021 | Appointed |
| — | Joo Ho-young (acting) | | 8 April 2021 | 30 April 2021 | Succeeded |
| — | Kim Gi-hyeon (acting) |  | 30 April 2021 | 11 June 2021 | Succeeded |
| 2 | Lee Jun-seok | .jpg) | 11 June 2021 | 9 August 2022 | Lee Jun-seok – 43.81% Na Kyung-won – 37.13% Joo Ho-young – 14.02% Cho Kyoung-tae – 2.80% Hong Moon-pyo – 2.21% |
| — | Kweon Seong-dong (acting) | .png) | 8 July 2022 | 9 August 2022 | Succeeded |
| — | Joo Ho-young (ERC) | | 9 August 2022 | 26 August 2022 | Appointed |
| — | Kweon Seong-dong (acting) | | 26 August 2022 | 8 September 2022 | Succeeded |
| — | Chung Jin-suk (ERC) | .jpg) | 8 September 2022 | 8 March 2023 | Appointed |
| 3 | Kim Gi-hyeon |  | 8 March 2023 | 13 December 2023 | |
| — | Yoon Jae-ok (acting) |  | 13 December 2023 | 26 December 2023 | Succeeded |
| — | Han Dong-hoon (ERC) |  | 26 December 2023 | 11 April 2024 | Appointed |
| – | Yoon Jae-ok (acting) | | 11 April 2024 | 2 May 2024 | Succeeded |
| – | Hwang Woo-yea (ERC) | .png) | 2 May 2024 | 23 July 2024 | Appointed |
| 4 | Han Dong-hoon |  | 23 July 2024 | 16 December 2024 | |
| — | Kweon Seong-dong (acting) | .png) | 16 December 2024 | 30 December 2024 | Succeeded |
| — | Kwon Young-se (ERC) | .png) | 30 December 2024 | 10 May 2025 | Appointed |
| — | Kweon Seong-dong (acting) | | 11 May 2025 | 15 May 2025 | Succeeded |
| — | Kim Yong-tae (ERC) | .png) | 15 May 2025 | 30 June 2025 | Appointed |
| — | Song Eon-seok [ko] (ERC) | .png) | 30 June 2025 | 26 August 2025 | Appointed |
| 5 | Jang Dong-hyeok | | 26 August 2025 | Incumbent | Jang Dong-hyeok – 50.27% Kim Moon-soo – 49.73% |
| No. | Name | Photo | Term of office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | |||
| 1 | Shim Jae-chul (resigned) | | 17 February 2020[197] | 8 May 2020 |
| 2 | Joo Ho-young | | 8 May 2020[198] | 30 April 2021 |
| 3 | Kim Gi-hyeon | | 30 April 2021[199] | 8 April 2022 |
| 4 | Kweon Seong-dong | | 8 April 2022[200] | 19 September 2022 |
| 5 | Joo Ho-young | | 19 September 2022[201] | 7 April 2023 |
| 6 | Yoon Jae-ok | | 7 April 2023[202] | 9 May 2024 |
| 7 | Choo Kyung-ho | .png) | 9 May 2024[203] | 7 December 2024 |
| 8 | Kweon Seong-dong | | 12 December 2024[204] | 5 June 2025 |
| — | Park Hyeong-su (acting) | 5 June 2025 | 16 June 2025 | |
| 9 | Song Eon-seok [ko] | | 16 June 2025 | Incumbent |
| No. | Name | Photo | Term of office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | |||
| 1 | Park Wan-soo | 17 February 2020 | 28 May 2020 | |
| 2 | Kim Seon-dong | 28 May 2020 | 14 October 2020 | |
| 3 | Cheong Yang-seog |  | 19 October 2020 | 11 June 2021 |
| 4 | Han Ki-ho | 17 June 2021 | 17 November 2021 | |
| 5 | Kweon Seong-dong | | 18 November 2021 | 5 January 2022 |
| 6 | Kwon Young-se |  | 6 January 2022 | 10 March 2022 |
| 7 | Han Ki-ho | 10 March 2022 | 8 August 2022 | |
| 8 | Kim Seok-ki | 18 August 2022 | 10 March 2023 | |
| 9 | Lee Chul-gyu | 13 March 2023 | 16 October 2023 | |
| 10 | Lee Man-hee |  | 16 October 2023 | 29 December 2023 |
| 11 | Jang Dong-hyeok | | 29 December 2023 | 15 April 2024 |
| — | Bae Joon-young (acting) |  | 15 April 2024 | 2 May 2024 |
| 12 | Bae Joon-young | | 2 May 2024 | 13 May 2024 |
| 13 | Sung Il-jong |  | 13 May 2024 | 29 July 2024 |
| 14 | Seo Beom-soo | 29 July 2024 | 16 December 2024 | |
| 15 | Lee Yang-soo | 30 December 2024 | 15 May 2025 | |
| 16 | Park Dae-chul | 15 May 2025 | 3 July 2025 | |
| 17 | Jeong Jeom-sig | 3 July 2025 | Incumbent | |
| Election | Candidate | Votes | % | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Yoon Suk Yeol | 16,394,815 | 48.56 | Elected |
| 2025 | Kim Moon-soo | 14,395,639 | 41.15 | Lost |
| Election | Leader | Constituency | Party list | Seats | Position | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | ± | Votes | % | Seats | ± | No. | +/– | ||||
| 2020 | Hwang Kyo-ahn | 11,915,277 | 41.46 | 84 / 253 | new | 103 / 300 [e] | new | 2nd | Opposition (2020) | ||||
| 2024 | Han Dong-hoon (Interim) | 13,179,769 | 45.73 | 90 / 254 | 6 | 108 / 300 [f] | 5 | Government (2022–2025) | |||||
| Opposition (2025–present) | |||||||||||||
| Election | Leader | Metropolitan Mayors and Governors | Provincial and Metropolitan Councillors | Municipal mayors | Municipal councillors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Lee Jun-seok | 12 / 17 | 540 / 872 | 145 / 226 | 1,435 / 2,987 |
| Election | Leader | National Assembly | Metropolitan Mayors and Governors | Municipal mayors | Provincial and Metropolitan councillors | Municipal councillors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Hwang Kyo-ahn | N/a | N/a | 3 / 8 | 10 / 17 | 17 / 33 |
| 2021 | Kim Chong-in | N/a | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 | 5 / 8 | 6 / 9 |
| March 2022 | Lee Jun-seok | 4 / 5 | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a |
| June 2022 | 5 / 7 | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | |
| April 2023 | Kim Gi-hyeon | 0 / 1 | N/a | 0 / 1 | 2 / 2 | 2 / 4 |
| October 2023 | N/a | N/a | 0 / 1 | N/a | N/a | |
| April 2024 | Han Dong-hoon | N/a | N/a | 1 / 2 | 3 / 17 | 7 / 26 |
| October 2024 | N/a | N/a | 2 / 4 | N/a | N/a | |
| 2025 | Kwon Young-se | N/a | N/a | 1 / 5 | 4 / 8 | 2 / 9 |
Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the conservative United Future Party, the main opposition, told Moon it might not be too late to implement a ban to prevent a further increase in cases of COVID-19.
South Korea's main conservative political opposition, the United Future Party, selected him to run in National Assembly elections in April.
Almost 9 out of 10 supporters of the conservative main opposition United Future Party favored a wider ban that covers all of China.
United Future Party, a conservative political movement formerly headed by Park, denied Lee and the party had any political connections.
Sexist rhetoric like this dominated the campaign of Yoon Suk-yeol, the right-wing People Power Party (PPP) candidate who won the presidential election on March 9.
After Yoon Suk-Yeol of the right-wing People Power Party won the presidential election last March, the country's gender equality ministry abruptly cancelled plans to recognise a wider range of companionships.
The People Power Party currently ruling the country isn't even center-right by American standards; I'd put it on a par with Labour under Tony Blair. Not to mention that President Yoon, according to his wife, is well to the left of the PPP.
Politically, the conservatives are on the rise in South Korea, and the country has just elected its new President, Yoon Suk-yeol, from the nationalist-conservative, People Power Party (PPP).
The two parties are ideologically poles apart, and analysts say the key question is whether voters will kick out Moon's dovish Democratic Party and usher in a new hawkish, fiscally-conservative regime under opposition People Power party's Yoon.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| Leaders (acting) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leadership elections | |||||||
| Presidential candidates (Presidents) | |||||||
| Presidential primaries | |||||||
| Floor leaders |
| ||||||
| Preceding parties |
| ||||||
| Satellite party | |||||||
| Related articles | |||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
