Former representative of South Korea's ruling party leaves the party and plans to form a new party = could it become a third force in the general election?

On the 27th of this month, Lee Jun-seok, former representative of South Korea's ruling party People's Power, announced his departure from the party. He also announced his intention to form a new party in preparation for the general election in April next year.
Ta. ``People's Power'' recently appointed a close aide to President Yoon Seo-gyeol as the party's top leader. In order to win the general election and regain parliamentary power, the party is working to create a system of ``party politics and unity''. on the other hand
The main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, is aiming to regain power by winning an overwhelming victory in the general election and pushing the Yoon administration into a corner. In this situation, the new party launched by Mr. Lee has the potential to become a third party in the future.
People are paying attention to whether it will work or not. Mr. Lee attracted attention in June 2021 when he was appointed as the party's representative at the young age of 36, despite having no experience as a member of the National Assembly. Studied computer science and economics at Harvard University
After graduating, he launched an IT (information technology) venture company. In 2011, former President Park Geun-hye appointed her as a member of the Grand National Party's emergency task force, the forerunner of "people's power."
Although he entered politics, he was defeated in the 2016 general election, the 2018 parliamentary by-election, and the 2020 general election. Won the 2021 party representative election without having any experience as a member of parliament, and became a major party in South Korea.
He became the first party representative in his 30s. Immediately after taking office as party president, he declared, ``We will win the presidential election.'' During last year's presidential election, President Yoon, who was the party's official candidate, said, ``I campaigned for Lee Jun-seok.''
He expressed his confidence in Lee, saying, ``I want to entrust full power to him,'' and ``It's a great fortune for me as a candidate to be able to fight for the presidential election alongside a party representative in his 30s.''
On the campaign trail, both appeared in front of reporters wearing matching red hoodies. Mr. Yoon said, ``I would like to share with you what Representative Lee planned.
I fully accept it, and if I'm told to wear these clothes and run, I'll run, and if I'm told to go somewhere, I'll go,'' he said, showing that he is in one spirit with Mr. Lee.
However, in December 2021, Lee resigned as election committee chairman due to conflicts with Yoon's aides. At the time, Mr. Lee said,
If members of the opposition committee do not follow the instructions of the election committee chairman, they are denying the existence of the election committee,'' he said, criticizing Yoon's aides. However, Mr. Lee remained as party representative, and Mr. Yun won the presidential election.
As a result, he became the representative of the ruling party. However, in July last year, the party's Ethics Committee for Members of the Party revised its internal rules after allegations were made that Mr. Lee had encouraged the destruction of evidence after receiving sexual entertainment in the past.
The party voted to impose disciplinary action on Mr. Lee, suspending his party membership for six months on the grounds that he did not abide by his obligation to maintain integrity as a party member. As a result, Mr. Lee's authority to execute his duties as a party representative was suspended. Lee
Although he appealed the punishment, he was dismissed from the national team. Furthermore, the Party Central Ethics Committee subsequently suspended Lee for an additional year because he repeatedly criticized President Yoon and the party. Lee
His term as party representative expired in June this year, while his membership in the party was suspended. The suspension was scheduled to be lifted in January of next year, but on the 2nd of this month, the party announced that it would not be able to move Mr.
decided to cancel the punishment. Against this backdrop, Mr. Lee has recently become more active in his efforts to form a new party. On the 27th, he held a press conference in Seoul and announced that he would leave the People's Power party.
He announced that he would form a new party. At the press conference, Mr. Lee appealed for a change in the existing politics, saying, ``It is not the party that is in a state of emergency, but South Korea.We cannot stand by and watch the political world remain unchanged.''
Ta. It will be interesting to see if the new party launched by Mr. Lee can become a third option for the general election that is neither ``People's Power'' nor ``Together Democratic Party.'' Opinion polling company Gallup Korea announced this month's 5th
In a public opinion poll conducted on the 7th among 1,000 people aged 18 and over across the country, 51% of people answered that ``the opposition party should win in order to check the government'' in the general election, and 51% said ``I want to support the government.'' Suruta
``The ruling party should win'' (35%). In a similar survey conducted last month, 46% said the opposition party should win, while 40% said the ruling party should win, a difference of 6 points.
However, one month later, it had increased to 16 points. On the other hand, only 32% of people viewed Mr. Lee's new party formation positively.