Gihuminsaeng Party Explained

Climate People's Life Party
Native Name:기후민생당
Native Name Lang:ko
Leader:Seo Jin-hee
Secretary General:Kim Chang-wan
Membership Year:2020
Position:Centre[1] [2] [3] to centre-right[4] [5]
Colours: Green
Seats1 Title:National Assembly
Seats2 Title:Metropolitan Mayors and Governors
Seats3 Title:Municipal Mayors
Seats4 Title:Provincial and Metropolitan Councillors
Seats5 Title:Municipal Councillors
Country:South Korea
Gihuminsaeng Party
Hangul:기후민생당
Rr:Gihuminsaengdang
Mr:Gihuminsaengdang
Othername1:Minsaeng Party
Hangul1:민생당
Rr1:Minsaengdang
Mr1:Minsaengdang

The Gihuminsaeng Party, formerly Minsaeng Party, is a conservative liberal political party in South Korea based in the Honam region.

History

The party was formed on 24 February 2020 by the merger of three parties—Bareunmirae Party, New Alternatives and Party for Democracy and Peace. Ten days before, all three parties agree to be merged and re-founded as a new party.[6]

Originally, the party was planned to be formed as the Democratic Unified Party (Korean: 민주통합당) on 17 February.[6] However, on the day of the agreement, the Bareunmirae President Sohn Hak-kyu showed his objection.[6] In addition, on 18 February, the National Election Commission did not allow the upcoming party to use the name as it sounds similar to the extra-parliamentary United Democratic Party.[7]

All three parties then again signed the agreement after the leaderships of all of them decided to resign on 20 February.[8] On 24 February, 3 parties were finally merged and officially re-founded with the current name.[9]

It lost all seats in the 2020 election.[10]

In the 2021 by-elections, the party President Lee Su-bong contested for the Seoul mayorship.[11] [12] Despite his less supports, he was able to appear on television debates, as Ahn Cheol-soo, who contested under the banner of its predecessor, Bareunmirae Party, received 19.55% 3 years ago.[11] [12] Nevertheless, he received 0.23% and came far behind of Park Young-sun and Oh Se-hoon, and even Huh Kyung-young.[13]

On 19 April 2021, the former party president Kim Jung-hwa made an announcement to quit the party, although she mentioned that she has no willingness to retire from politics.[14]

On 4 May 2021, Lee Su-bong was suspended from the party for a year.[15]

On February 8, 2024, Kim Jong-ki, the acting chairman of the DPP's emergency committee, declared the party's commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development.

On March 15, the committee suggested renaming the party to "Climate People's Democratic Party," in line with the party constitution. The Central Election Commission confirmed the name change on March 19. Former Chairman Seo Jin-hee was elected as the new party chairman, with Lee Seung-han, Lee Jin, and Nae-hoon as supreme committee members, and Lee Ki-hyun as the National Party Congress chairman. On March 20, Kim Jong-ki released a commentary titled "The Climate People's Party is a party that protects life, democracy, human rights, and the livelihood of ordinary people," which was disseminated via media outlets.[16] According to a court search, an appeal was lodged following the Supreme Court's 2024 decision, case number 2024 Na 2015771. Finally, on March 22, Seo Jin-hee was officially announced as the representative following the resolution from March 19, and the general secretary position was declared vacant.[17]

Political position

The party has a support base among elderly and socially conservative Christians in the Honam region.[18] The Democratic Peace Party, a former Honam regionalist party, strongly opposed abortion, but Minsaeng Party has no official position on abortion.

On the LGBT issue, MPs expressed their opposition to same-sex marriage, but criticized some socially conservative member of the Democratic Party of Korea's hostile tendencies toward LGBT people.[19]

Election results

ElectionLeaderConstituencyParty listSeatsPositionStatus
Votes%+/-Votes%+/-No.+/–
2020Kim Jung-hwa
Yu Sung-yup
415,4731.5new758,7782.7newnew6th
2024Kim Jung-hwa
Yu Sung-yup

References

  1. News: Jung Da-min . Political parties officially kick off election campaigns . . 2 April 2020.
  2. News: Bisbee . Cory . COVID-19 Factor Powers South Korea's Ruling Party to Historic Victory . . 17 April 2020.
  3. News: Ser Myo-ja . DP to join initiative to form satellite party . . 13 March 2020.
  4. News: Yi . Joseph . Lee . Wondong . After the 2020 Parliamentary Elections, What's Next for South Korean Politics? . . 22 April 2020.
  5. News: Sanghun Lee . The substance of a Korean Green New Deal is still being defined . During South Korea’s parliamentary election in mid-April, which was the world’s first national election amid the pandemic, the ruling centrist Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), the centre-right Party for People’s Livelihoods (PPL), the centre-left Justice Party (JP) and the left Green Party Korea (GPK) all made pledges around a "Green New Deal". Eco Business . 9 July 2020.
  6. News: 16 February 2020. 민주통합당 vs 안철수 국민의당…여당의 호남 상대는 누구?. 24 February 2020.
  7. News: 18 February 2020. 선관위, "호남신당 '민주통합당' 당명 사용불가" 유권해석. 24 February 2020.
  8. News: 20 February 2020. 바른미래·대안·평화 24일 합당…손학규 포함 지도부 사퇴. 24 February 2020.
  9. News: 24 February 2020. '호남계 주축' 바른미래·대안신당·평화당 3당 합당…'민생당' 출범. 24 February 2020.
  10. News: 16 April 2020. 민생당, 창당 두달만에 교섭단체서 원외정당으로…사실상 '소멸'. 16 April 2020.
  11. News: 31 March 2021. 박·오에 가려졌던 민생당 이수봉, 3자 토론서 의외의 존재감. 11 June 2021.
  12. News: 31 March 2021. 박영선·오세훈 다 때린 미친 존재감, 민생당 이수봉이 누구야?. 11 June 2021.
  13. News: 8 April 2021. 허경영 1% 벽 넘었다…'모두 까기' 이수봉 0.23%. 11 June 2021.
  14. News: 19 April 2021. 김정화, 민생당 탈당… "이상과 꿈은 내려놓지 않을 것". 11 June 2021.
  15. News: 5 May 2021. 민생당, 이수봉 비대위원장 징계 두고 내홍. 11 June 2021.
  16. Web site: 2024-03-20 . 기후민생당 “생명과 민주주의, 인권, 서민의 민생을 지키는 정당” 논평발표 . 2024-03-24 . 브레이크뉴스.
  17. Web site: 공고 위원회소식 알림마당 중앙선거관리위원회 . 2024-03-24 . www.nec.go.kr . ko .
  18. Web site: 목포 기독교 교계 지도자들 "민생당 박지원 후보 지지" 선언 . 호남타임즈 . 10 April 2020.
  19. News: 민주당 "성소수자 문제 소모적" 발언에 민생·정의 "차별적 인식" . . 2020-03-07.