List of political parties in South Korea

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 has a chance of gaining power alone.

Current parties

Parties represented in the National Assembly

Party			Abbr.	Leader	Ideology	Political position	Policy toward North	National Assembly	Governors
		Democratic Party 더불어민주당 Deobureominjudang	DPK	Lee Jae-myung	Liberalism	Centre[3] to centre-left[4]	Pro-Sunshine Policy	170 / 300	5 / 17
		People Power Party 국민의힘 Gungminuihim	PPP	Han Dong-hoon	Conservatism	Right-wing	Anti-North	108 / 300	12 / 17
		Rebuilding Korea Party 조국혁신당 Jogukhyeokshindang	RKP	Cho Kuk	Progressivism Liberalism Reformism	Centre-left	Pro-Sunshine Policy[5]	12 / 300	0 / 17
		New Reform Party 개혁신당 Gaehyeokshindang	NRP	Lee Jun-seok	Conservatism[6]		N/A	3 / 300	0 / 17
		Progressive Party 진보당 Jinbodang	PP	Kim Jae-yeon	Progressivism	Left-wing[a]	Strongly pro-Sunshine Policy[9]	3 / 300	0 / 17
		Basic Income Party 기본소득당 Gibonsodeukdang	BIP	Yong Hye-in	Universal basic income	Single-issue	None	1 / 300	0 / 17
		Social Democratic Party 사회민주당 Sahoeminjudang	SDP	Han Chang-min	Social democracy	Centre-left	None	1 / 300	0 / 17

1. The Progressive Party is often described as "far-left" in South Korea due to its sympathies toward North Korea, opposition to the U.S. military presence in South Korea, and political similarities with the defunct Unified Progressive Party.^[7][8] This is due to the party descending from the Minjokhaebang-wing [ko] (National Liberation faction) of progressivism in South Korea, which was described as being left-wing nationalists, reunificationists and anti-American.

Extra-parliamentary parties

Conservative parties

Main article: Conservatism in South Korea

• Republican Party of South Korea [ko] (공화당)
• Our Republican Party (우리공화당)
• Korean National Party (한국국민당)
• Saenuri Party (2017) (새누리당)
• Hannara Party (2014) [ko] (한나라당)
• All Citizen's Participatory Party (가가국민참여신당)
• Gana! The Anti-Communist Party of Korea [ko] (가나반공정당코리아)
• The Christian Party [ko] (기독당)
• Korean Independence Party (한국독립당)
• Every House Public Election Grand Party [ko] (가가호호공명선거대한당)
• Liberty Democratic Party (South Korea, 2021) [ko] (자유민주당)
• New Korean Peninsula Party [ko] (신한반도당)
• Korean People's Party [ko] (대한국민당) ^[10]
• People's Grand United Party (국민대통합당)^[11]
• National Solidarity for National Unity [ko] (국민통합연대) ^[12]
• Future Korean Peninsula Party [ko] (한반도미래당)

Centrist (or conservative liberal) parties

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

Liberal parties

Main article: Liberalism in South Korea

• Republic of Korea Party [ko] (대한민국당)
• 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 [ko] (한국농어민당)
• Pine Tree Party (소나무당)
• New Future Party (새미래민주당)

Progressive parties

Main article: Progressivism in South Korea

• Labor Party (노동당)
• Justice Party (정의당)^[a]
• Green Party (녹색당)
• Our Future (미래당)
• National Sovereignty Party [ko](국민주권당)
• Social Democratic Party (사회민주당)

Single-issue parties

• Women's Party (여성의당)
• People's Democracy Party (민중민주당)
• Party for the Abolition of Special Privileges [ko] (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 [ko]

Unknown stances, third position, or syncretic parties

• National Revolutionary Party (국가혁명당)
• United Korean People's Party [ko] (통일한국당), Samgyun-ist party, where republican and nationalist political thought merge.^[13]
• Towards Tomorrow, Towards the Future [ko] (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. ^{[citation needed]}

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	Registration date	Party leader	Petitioning deadline	Notes
Small Business Party 소상공인당	18 March 2024	Kim Jae-heum	18 September 2024	A single-issue moderate reformist party for protecting small business owners and the middle class.
Nuclear Nation Party 핵나라당	14 May 2024	Jeong Hui-won	14 November 2024	A Hitlerite party that has submitted its attempted registration for the 8th time[14]
Every House Public Election's Party 가가호호공명선거당	27 May 2024	Min Hyeong-wook	17 November 2024	Single-issue party meant to reform the election management system.

Banned parties

Communist and Juche parties

• Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front (반제민족민주전선)
• General Association of Korean Residents in Japan "Chongryon" (총련)
• South Korean National Liberation Front Preparation Committee (남조선민족해방전선준비위원회)
• Workers' Party of Korea (조선로동당)

Social Democratic and progressive parties

• Korean Social Democratic Party (조선사회민주당)
• Unified Progressive Party (통합진보당)
• United Socialist Party of Korea (통일사회당)

Other

• New Democratic Party (신민당)

Defunct parties

Timeline of all mainstream political parties from 1945 to 2014

Conservative parties

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 (South Korea, 2021) [ko].
• Ahn Cheol-soo's People's Party (2020–2022), merged with the People Power.
• Pro-Park Coalition (친박연대) (2012–2022)
• Future Korean Peninsula Union [ko] (한반도미래연합) (2016–2022)
• Liberty Party (South Korea, 2020) [ko] (자유당) (2020–2024)
• Revolution 21 [ko] (혁명21당) (2021–2024)
• Dawn of Liberty (자유의새벽당) (2019–2024)
• Pro-Park New Party (친박신당) (2020–2024), merged with the People Power Party.

Liberal parties

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)^[15]
• Transition Korea (2020–2023), merged into conservative People Power.^[16]
• Hope of Korea (2023–2024), merged into Lee Jun-seok's New Reform Party.
• Awakened Civic Solidarity Party [ko] (깨어있는시민연대당)^[b]
• K-Political Innovation Union Party [ko] (K정치혁신연합당) (2022–2024)^[c]

Progressive parties

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)^[17]
• People's United Party (2016–2017)
• New People's Party (2017)
• Socialist Revolutionary Workers' Party,^[d] merged with Labor Party. (2016–2022)^[18]
• Let's Go! Peace and Human Rights Party [ko] (가자!평화인권당) (2020–2024)^[e]

Green parties

• Korea Greens (2004–2008)
• Let's Go! Environmental Party [ko] (가자환경당; 2020–2024)^[f]

Unknown or syncretic parties

• New Han People's Peninsula Peace Party [ko] (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 [ko]. (2021–2023)
• Functional Self-Employment Party [ko] (직능자영업당), (single-issue) merged into Towards Tomorrow, Towards the Future [ko]. (2020–2024)
• Small and Medium-sized Businesses and Self-employed Peoples' Party [ko] (중소자영업당) (2020–2024)^[g]

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

Notes

1. Has elected local city councilors around the country.
2. Disbanded 24 March 2024 after not registering candidates for the 2024 Parliament election
3. Self-dissolved after coming second-to-last in the 2024 South Korean legislative election
4. an unregistered left-wing to far-left political party. It is unable to register due to a ban on openly socialist or communist parties under the National Security Act.
5. Dissolved by the National Elections Commission in 2024 for not participating in an election for 4 years
6. Dissolved by the National Elections Commission in 2024 for not participating in an election for 4 years
7. Dissolved by the National Elections Commission in 2024 for not participating in an election for 4 years

References

1. Wong, Joseph (2015). "South Korea's Weakly Institutionalized Party System". Party System Institutionalization in Asia: Democracies, Autocracies, and the Shadows of the Past. Cambridge University Press. pp. 260–279.
2. Wong, Joseph (2012). "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. United Nations University Press. pp. 68–84.
3. The Democratic Party of Korea is described as a centrist party by numerous sources:

   • "Democratic Party of Korea". Britannica.com. 3 January 2024. Democratic Party of Korea (DP), Korean Daeburo Minjudang, centrist-liberal political party in South Korea.
   • "Political Populism: Eroding Asia's Complex Interdependence? – Analysis". Eurasia Review. 1 November 2019. The South Korean President Moon Jae-in's centrist-liberal Democratic Party has also reflected and tactically deployed the considerable popular nationalist sentiment in South Korean society as he vowed in early August that in the escalating bilateral trade dispute the country would "never again lose to Japan".
   • "South Korea: Economic and Political Outline". Santander. July 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019. The Minjoo Party: centre, socially liberal main opposition party, result of a 2014 merger between the Democratic Party and the New Political Vision Party, first party in the Parliament since August 2017
   • "The Justice Party and the South Korean Left: A movement with potential, but divided and struggling". Europe Elects. 14 November 2019. With most of national politics dominated by the centrist Democratic Party and the right-wing Liberty Korea Party (자유한국당), successor to the former governing Saenuri Party, there is little space for the Justice Party to find an opening for electoral success.
   • "Topic Brief - Academy Model United Nations" (PDF). ACADEMY MODEL UNITED NATIONS XXI.
   • Ahn, JH (19 September 2016). "South Korea split over whether to aid "arch-nemesis" in flood relief". NK News. Her party, Saenuri, has also remained silent on the issue, in sharp contrast to centrist Minjoo Party [sic], which on Monday urged Seoul to look beyond politics and help its neighbor.
   • Nomi Prins, ed. (2022). Permanent Distortion: How the Financial Markets Abandoned the Real Economy Forever. Hachette UK. ISBN 9781541789074.
4. • "Moon Jae-in: South Korean liberal claims presidency". BBC. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 2 October 2019. Mr Moon, of the centre-left Democratic Party, unsuccessfully ran against Ms Park in 2012 elections.
   • "Seoul's mayor found dead in presumed suicide after #MeToo allegation". France 24. 7 September 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2023. A heavyweight figure in the ruling centre-left Democratic party, Park ran South Korea's sprawling capital -- home to almost a fifth of the national population -- for nearly a decade.
   • "S.Korea elects conservative outsider as president in tectonic shift". Reuters. 9 March 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2023. Official results showed Yoon, 61, edged out the ruling centre-left Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung to replace Moon, whose single five-year term ends in May.
   • ""This is not the end": S. Korean activist ends 46-day hunger strike for anti-discrimination act". The Hankyoreh. 27 May 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2023. During the press conference, activists directed their most scathing indictments at the center-left Democratic Party, which despite holding the outright majority in the National Assembly (167 seats) has failed to actively push for the law's enactment.
5. 조국혁신당. rebuildingkoreaparty.kr/. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
6. ""KIM OVERSEES MISSILE TEST"". Korean Broadcasting System. 29 January 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
7. "Female prosecutor opens up about sexual harassment". koreaherald. 30 January 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2020. "Members of the far-left minor opposition Minjung Party protest, demanding the Prosecution's apology and an investigation into a female prosecutor's sexual harassment allegations, in front of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seoul on Tuesday."
8. 원성훈 (26 January 2020). "[4·15 총선 앗싸①] '극좌'에서 '극우'까지 ... '배당금黨'에 '결혼당'도 출현" [[April 15 general elections] From 'far left' to 'far right' ... 'Dividend Party' and 'Marriage Party' have also emerged.]. 뉴스웍스.
9. "[보도자료] 김재연 후보, 유엔 총회 앞두고 "남북교류협력 가로막는 대북제재 해제하라"". Progressive Party.
10. 중앙당 등록공고(대한국민당).
11. 국민대통합당. pgup.or.kr.
12. 공고 | 위원회소식 | 알림마당 | 중앙선거관리위원회.
13. 중앙당 등록공고(통일한국당).
14. 공고 | 위원회소식 | 알림마당 | 중앙선거관리위원회.
15. '새로운물결' 창당 선언한 김동연 "별칭은 '오징어당'…정치 바꾸겠다". ChosunBiz. October 24, 2021.
16. 국민의힘, 시대전환 흡수 합당…조정훈 합류로 112석.
17. Yonhap News Agency, December 19, 2014, , "...South Korea's Constitutional Court on Friday ordered the dissolution of a pro-North Korean minor opposition party..."
18. '노동당·사회변혁노동자당' 통합정당 2월5일 출범 < 정당 < 정치ㆍ경제 < 기사본문 - 매일노동뉴스. 18 January 2022.

Bibliography

• The present state of registered political parties^{[permanent dead link‍]}, National Election Commission of S. Korea.
• The present state of political parties registration, National Election Commission of S. Korea, May 29, 2008.