List of political parties in South Korea explained

This article lists political parties in South Korea.

South Korea has a weakly institutionalized multi-party system,^{[1] [2]} characterized by frequent changes in party arrangements. At least one of the many political parties have a chance of gaining power alone.

Current parties

Parties represented in the National Assembly

	Party				Leader	Floor leader	Ideology	Political position	Policy toward North	National Assembly
Parliamentary group				DPK	Lee Jae-myung	Park Hong-keun	Liberalism (South Korean)	Centre^[3] to
				PPP	Han Dong-hoon	Yoon Jae-ok	Conservatism (South Korean)	Right-wing	Anti-North
Without parliamentary group				JP	Kim Jun-woo	Sim Sang-jung		Centre-left to left-wing
				NFP	Lee Nak-yon	Kim Jong-min	Centrist reformism	N/A	N/A
				NRP	Lee Jun-seok	Yang Hyang-ja	Conservatism^[4]		N/A
				BIP	Mun Mi-jeong	Yong Hye-in	Universal basic income	Single-issue	None
				RKP	Cho Kuk	Hwang Un-ha	Progressivism Liberalism Reformism	Centre-left	Pro-Sunshine Policy^[5]
				LUP	Jeon Kwang-hoon	Hwangbo Seung-hee	Christian conservatism^[6] Korean nationalism Anti-communism Anti-Islam	Far-right	Anti-North
				PP	Yoon Hee-suk	Kang Sung-hee	Progressivism (South Korean)	Left-wing

Extra-parliamentary parties

Conservative parties

See main article: Conservatism in South Korea.

• Republican Party of South Korea (공화당)
• Pro-Park New Party (친박신당)
• Our Republican Party (우리공화당)
• Korean National Party (한국국민당)
• Saenuri Party (2017) (새누리당)
• Hannara Party (2014) (한나라당)
• All Citizen's Participatory Party (가가국민참여신당)
• Gana! The Anti-Communist Party of Korea (가나반공정당코리아)
• The Christian Party (기독당)
• Korean Independence Party (한국독립당)
• Every House Public Election Grand Party (가가호호공명선거대한당)
• Liberty Democratic Party (자유민주당)
• New Korean Peninsula Party (신한반도당)
• Korean People's Party (대한국민당) ^[7]
• People's Grand United Party (국민대통합당)^[8]
• National Solidarity for National Unity (국민통합연대) ^[9]
• Future Korean Peninsula Party (한반도미래당)

Centrist (or conservative liberal) parties

• Hongik Party (홍익당)
• Elders' Welfare Party (노인복지당)
• Korean Wave Alliance Party (한류연합당)
• Party for People's Livelihood (민생당)
• People's Policy Party (국민정책당)

Liberal parties

See main article: Liberalism in South Korea.

• Republic of Korea Party (대한민국당)
• K-Political Innovation Union Party (K정치혁신연합당)
• Open Democratic Party (열린민주당), a recreation of the now-dissolved Open Democratic Party, which merged with the Democratic Party on 12 January 2022.
• Korea's Farmer and Fisherman's Party (한국농어민당)
• Pine Tree Party (소나무당)

Progressive parties

• Labor Party (노동당)
• Justice Party (정의당)
• Green Party (녹색당)
• Our Future (미래당)
• National Sovereignty Party(국민주권당)
• Social Democratic Party (사회민주당)

Single-issue parties

• Women's Party (여성의당)
• People's Democracy Party (민중민주당)
• Party for the Abolition of Special Privileges (가락특권폐지당), aimed at eliminating the special privilege of sitting lawmakers not being able to be tried for crimes while serving as lawmaker.
• Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Party

Unknown stances, third position, or syncretic parties

• National Revolutionary Party (국가혁명당)
• United Korean People's Party (통일한국당), Samgyun-ist party, where republican and nationalist political thought merge.^[10]
• Towards Tomorrow, Towards the Future (내일로미래로), an electoral alliance party

of 10 minor conservative parties. Formerly known as the Chungcheong's Future Party. (2020-2023)

• Taegon Party (태건당), a pseudo-religious party created from the Dragon Empire religious cult.

Parties in formation

These parties are not legal acting political parties yet, but are in the process of gathering petition signatures to become formal political parties.

Party name		Party leader	Petitioning deadline	Notes
nowrap	Nuclear Nation Party 핵나라당	nowrap	5 October 2023	nowrap	Jeong Hui-won	nowrap	5 April 2024	A Hitlerite party that has submitted its attempted registration for the 7th time^[11]
nowrap	The People's Judgement 국민의심판	nowrap	3 November 2023	nowrap	Kim Pil-gyu	nowrap	3 May 2024
nowrap	The People's Sentiment 민심동행	nowrap	6 November 2023	nowrap	Shin In-kyu	nowrap	6 May 2024	Created from anti-Yoon conservatives.
nowrap	Abolish Special Privileges Party 특권폐지당	nowrap	4 December 2023	nowrap	Jang Gi-pyo	nowrap	4 June 2024	Single-issue party aimed at abolishing the law stating that lawmakers cannot be prosecuted while a sitting lawmaker unless approval from two-thirds of parliament.
nowrap	Financial Reform Party 금융개혁당	nowrap	17 January 2024	nowrap	Shin Mi-sook	nowrap	16 June 2024
nowrap	Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Party 대한상공인당	nowrap	5 February 2024	nowrap	Jeong Jae-hoon	nowrap	5 August 2024	Represents the rights of small business owners, self-employed people, small and medium-sized enterprises, and merchants, as well as socially and policy-vulnerable groups such as youth, the disabled, and North Korean defectors.
nowrap	Pine Tree Party 소나무당	nowrap	13 Feb 2024	nowrap	Song Young-gil	nowrap	13 August 2024	A party created by former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil.
nowrap	K-Politics Alliance K정치연합	nowrap	14 February 2024	nowrap	Ryu Jong-yeol	nowrap	14 August 2024
nowrap	Korean People's Peace Party 한민족평화당	nowrap	16 February 2024	nowrap	Do Cheon-soo	nowrap	16 August 2024
nowrap	Direct Democratic Local Self-Governing Party 직접민주지역자치당	nowrap	27 February 2024	nowrap	Im Hyeong-tae	nowrap	27 August 2024	A unified national party of multiple regional parties, as the Constitution of the Republic of Korea does not allow for local or regionalist political parties.

Defunct parties

Conservative parties

See main article: Conservatism in South Korea.

Mainstream parties

• National Alliance for the Rapid Realization of Korean Independence (1946–1951)
• Liberal Party (1951–1960)
• Democratic Republican Party (1963–1980)
• Democratic Justice Party (1981–1990)
• Democratic Liberal Party → New Korea Party (1990–1997)
• Hannara Party → Saenuri Party → Liberty Korea Party (1997–2020)
• People's Future Party (국민의미래), A satellite party of the ruling People Power. (2024)

Minor parties

• Korean Resistance Party (1945–1950)
• Federation Korean National Independence (1947–1951)
• Korea National Party (1947–1958)
• Korean National Party → New Democratic Republican Party (1981–1990)
• United People's Party → Democratic Party (1992–1995)
• United Liberal Democrats (1995–2006)
• People First Party (2005–2008)
• Liberty Forward Party → Advancement Unification Party (2008–2012)
• Pro-Park Coalition → Future Hope Alliance (2008–2012)
• Hannara Party (2012)
• Evergreen Korea Party (2017–2018)
• Grand National United Party (2017–2018)
• Bareun Party (2017–2018)
• Bareunmirae Party (2018–2020)
• New Conservative Party (2020)
• Republican Party (공화당) (2014–2020), merged with Christian Liberal Unification Party (기독자유통일당) to form National Revolutionary Party (국민혁명당).
• Uri Party (2021)
• Free Korea 21 (2016–2021), formerly Korea Economic Party, merged with Liberty Democratic Party.
• Ahn Cheol-soo's People's Party (2020–2022), merged with the People Power.
• Pro-Park Coalition (친박연대) (2012–2022)
• Future Korean Peninsula Union (한반도미래연합) (2016–2022)
• Liberty Party (자유당) (2020-2024)
• Revolution Party (혁명21당) (2021-2024)
• Dawn of Liberty (자유의새벽당) (2019-2024)

Liberal parties

See main article: Liberalism in South Korea.

Mainstream parties

• Korea Democratic Party → Democratic National Party (1945–1955)
• Democratic Party (1955–1961)
• Civil Rule Party (1963–1965)
• People's Party → New Democratic Party (1965–1980)
• Democratic Korea Party (1981–1988)
• New Korea and Democratic Party (1984–1988)
• Reunification Democratic Party (1987–1990)
• Peace Democratic Party (1987–1991)
• Democratic Party (1991–1995)
• National Congress for New Politics (1995–2000)
• Millennium Democratic Party → Democratic Party (2000–2008)
• Uri Party (2002–2007)
• Grand Unified Democratic New Party (2007–2008)
• United Democratic Party → Democratic Party (2008–2011)
• Democratic United Party → Democratic Party (2011–2014)

Minor parties

• Democratic Party (1963–1965)
• Democratic Unification Party (1973–1980)
• Democratic Party (1990–1991)
• Democratic Party (1995–1997)
• The Participation Party (2010–2011)
• New Political Vision Party (2014)
• Democratic Party (2014–2016)
• People's Party (2016–2018)
• Bareunmirae Party (2018–2020)
• Party for Democracy and Peace (2018–2020)
• New Alternatives (2019–2020)
• Future Democratic Party (2020)
• Open Democratic Party (2020–2022)
• Kim Dong-yeon's New Wave - Squid Party (새로운물결 - 오징어당) (2021-2022)^[12]
• Transition Korea (2020-2023), merged into conservative People Power.^[13]
• Hope of Korea (2023-2024), merged into Lee Jun-seok's New Reform Party.
• Awakened Civic Solidarity Party (깨어있는시민연대당)

Progressive parties

See main article: Progressivism in South Korea.

• Preparatory Committee for National Construction → People's Party of Korea → People's Labor Party (1945–1950)
• Socialist Party (1951–1953)
• Progressive Party (1956–1958, banned)
• United Socialist Party of Korea (1961–1967)
• Revolutionary Party for Reunification → National Democratic Front of South Korea → Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front (1969–2005, banned)
• Hankyoreh Democratic Party (1988–1991)
• People's Party (1988)
• Popular Party (1990–1992)
• People's Victory 21 → Democratic Labor Party (1997–2011)
• Youth Progressive Party → Socialist Party → Korea Socialist Party → Socialist Party (1998–2012)
• New Progressive Party (2008–2012)
• Unified Progressive Party (2011–2014, banned)^[14]
• People's United Party (2016–2017)
• New People's Party (2017)
• Socialist Revolutionary Workers' Party, merged with Labor Party. (2016–2022)^[15]
• Let's Go! Peace and Human Rights Party (가자!평화인권당) (2020-2024)

Green parties

• Korea Greens (2004–2008)
• Let's Go! Environmental Party (가자환경당) (2020-2024)

Unknown or syncretic parties

• New Han People's Peninsula Peace Party (신한반도체제평화당), pan-Korean nationalism and Cheondoism, claims to support the unification of not only the Korean Peninsula, but of lands where Koreans are located in China, Russia, and Japan as well. Merged with Chungcheong's Future Party to create Towards Tomorrow, Towards the Future. (2021-2023)
• Functional Self-Employment Party (직능자영업당), (single-issue) merged into Towards Tomorrow, Towards the Future. (2020-2024)
• Small and Medium-sized Businesses and Self-employed Peoples' Party (중소자영업당) (2020-2024)

See also

• List of ruling political parties by country
• Politics of South Korea
• Conservatism in South Korea
• Liberalism in South Korea
• Progressivism in South Korea

References

Bibliography

• The present state of registered political parties, National Election Commission of S. Korea.
• The present state of political parties registration, National Election Commission of S. Korea, May 29, 2008.

Notes and References

1. Encyclopedia: Wong. Joseph. South Korea's Weakly Institutionalized Party System. Party System Institutionalization in Asia: Democracies, Autocracies, and the Shadows of the Past. 2015. Cambridge University Press. 260–279.
2. Encyclopedia: Wong. Joseph. Transitioning from a dominant party system to multi-party system: The case of South Korea. Friend or Foe? Dominant Party Systems in Southern Africa: Insights from the Developing World. 2012. United Nations University Press. 68–84.
3. The Democratic Party of Korea is described as a centrist party by numerous sources:
4. News: 29 January 2024 . "KIM OVERSEES MISSILE TEST" . KBS . 2 February 2024.
5. Web site: 조국혁신당 . 2024-03-09 . rebuildingkoreaparty.kr/.
6. Web site: Conservative zealots: evangelical politics in South Korea. 10 July 2023. 31 March 2024. Yong Jae Kim. 9DashLine.
7. Web site: 중앙당 등록공고(대한국민당).
8. Web site: 국민대통합당 . pgup.or.kr.
9. Web site: 공고 | 위원회소식 | 알림마당 | 중앙선거관리위원회 .
10. Web site: 중앙당 등록공고(통일한국당).
11. Web site: 공고 | 위원회소식 | 알림마당 | 중앙선거관리위원회 .
12. Web site: '새로운물결' 창당 선언한 김동연 "별칭은 '오징어당'…정치 바꾸겠다". October 24, 2021. 조선비즈.
13. Web site: 국민의힘, 시대전환 흡수 합당…조정훈 합류로 112석 .
14. Yonhap News Agency, December 19, 2014, http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2014/12/19/21/0301000000AEN20141219001752315F.html, “...South Korea's Constitutional Court on Friday ordered the dissolution of a pro-North Korean minor opposition party...”
15. Web site: '노동당·사회변혁노동자당' 통합정당 2월5일 출범 < 정당 < 정치ㆍ경제 < 기사본문 - 매일노동뉴스. 18 January 2022 .