| Free Korea 21 | |
| Native Name: | 자유한국21 |
| Native Name Lang: | ko |
| Colorcode: |
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| Abbreviation: | KEP |
| Leader1 Title: | President |
| Leader1 Name: | Choi Jong-ho Kim Kyung-se |
| Founded: | 14 March 2016 |
| Registered: | 21 March 2016 |
| Dissolved: | 6 March 2021 |
| Headquarters: | Hanseo River Park 1512, Yeouiseo-ro, Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo, Seoul |
| Membership Year: | 2018 |
| Membership: | 6,834 |
| Colours: | Orange |
| Website: | http://www.k-ecoparty.kr/ |
| Country: | South Korea |
Free Korea 21 was a conservative political party in South Korea led by Choi Jong-ho and Kim Kyung-se.
The party was founded as the Pro-Ban Unification Party (ko|친반통일당) on 14 March 2016, in order to endorse the-then Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon for the upcoming presidential election.[1] In 2016 election, the party nominated 6 candidates — 2 for constituencies (including the former Cheongju Mayor Han Dae-soo)[2] and 4 for proportional representations, in which no one was elected.
Following the election defeat, it changed its name to the Pro-Ban Nation Hope Union on 29 November.[3] It again changed to the Party for National Hope on 31 January 2017[3] shortly after Ban declared to not seek for the presidential election. On 13 April, it then adopted a new name Economic Patriots (ko|경제애국당), with electing the President of Haha Group Oh Young-guk as its presidential candidate.[3] Oh received 6,040 votes (0.01%), making him as the candidate with the fewest votes since 1948.[4]
The party then reverted its former name on 29 October 2019[5] and again to the Korea Economic Party (ko|한국경제당) on 2 March 2020 as a "refoundation".[6] Prior to the 2020 election, the Gangnam 3rd MP Lee Eun-jae, joined this party, making the party with a parliamentary representation.[7] Lee, who was elected under the Saenuri (then United Future Party) banner in 2016, joined the Christian Liberal Unification Party (CLUP) after lost at preselection.[7] However, she also withdrew from the CLUP following her elimination due to her Buddhist identity.[8]
After the party did not gain any seats in the election, sources reported that Lee had already exited from the party.[9]
The party was renamed to Free Korea 21 on 14 December 2020, and voted to merge into the new on 6 March 2021.
The party describes itself as "centre-right"[10] [11] and critical of the United Future Party. Originally a pro-Ban party, it has renounced its pro-Ban stance in 2017.[12]
See also: 2016 South Korean legislative election. For the 2016 election, the party promised a constitutional amendment, from the 5-year non-renewable presidential system to the American-style 4-year renewable presidential system with reinstating the vice presidency.[1]
See also: 2017 South Korean presidential election. Following are a part of the manifestos of Oh Young-guk.[13]
See also: 2020 South Korean legislative election. For the 2020 election, the party promised to overcome the coronavirus pandemic, adopting it as its "1st manifesto".[14] [10]
| Election | Leader | Constituency | Party list | Seats | Position | Status | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | No. | +/– | ||||
| 2016 | Lee Moon-yong | 9,394 | 0.04 | 9,710 | 0.04 | new | 21st | ||
| 2020 | Choi Jong-ho Kim Kyung-se | 48,807 | 0.17 | 0 | 18th | ||||