Lee Jun-seok Elected as New Leader of the Reformist Party… "I Will Redesign Party Politics"

Lee Jun-seok has been elected as the new leader of the Reformist Party, regaining the party leadership after 1 year and 2 months.

At the party convention held in the National Assembly's conference room in Yeouido on the afternoon of the 27th, Lee, who was the sole candidate, recorded an overwhelming approval rating of 98.22% in the party members' vote, becoming the new party leader of the Reformist Party.

The voting was conducted online for two days from the 25th, with 70% from the party members' vote and 30% from a public opinion survey.

In his acceptance speech immediately after being elected, Leader Lee expressed his gratitude and honor, stating, "I am grateful and honored to have the opportunity to serve the party and the Republic of Korea." He added, "Standing at a new starting line feels like standing in front of a massive mountain. While I feel fear of its steepness, my heart races with a sense of challenge and passion to reach the summit."

Leader Lee particularly emphasized, "We must guard against the populism that is immediately visible and seek and choose the path of true change." He stressed, "Even if it is a challenging road, we must show the people a trustworthy future."

He also added, "We must draw out the inertia and contradictions within ourselves and fill them with new passion."

In his speech, Leader Lee stated, "Unfortunately, our earlier judgment about the Yoon Seok-yeol administration was all correct. Our concerns about the future of the Lee Jae-myung administration are similarly valid," criticizing both ruling and opposition parties.

He highlighted the role of the Reformist Party by saying, "Now we are a party that must present practical alternatives with logical conclusions beyond analysis and criticism."

Leader Lee declared, "I will boldly change the habitual practices entrenched in Korean politics. If it is not absolutely necessary, I will redesign everything about party politics," and expressed his ambition by saying, "I will repay with groundbreaking innovation that exceeds all expectations and reduce unnecessary consumption."

Meanwhile, the Reformist Party also elected three members of the Supreme Council on the same day. In the Supreme Council election, where seven candidates ran, Kim Seong-yeol, former spokesperson, Joo Yi-sak, a Seoul Seo-daemun district council member, and lawyer Kim Jeong-cheol were elected after combining the party members' and public votes.

The Reformist Party, which elected its third-term leadership, expressed excitement, stating, "We are thrilled at the thought of persuading the 91.66% of voters who did not vote for us in the last presidential election."

Spokesperson Kim Young-im stated in a commentary on that day, "The members of the Reformist Party know well that our prospect is not a bed of roses. But we are confident," adding, "In the short time since our founding, we have tested new possibilities through significant challenges such as the National Assembly and presidential elections."

He concluded by emphasizing, "We will deeply engrave the encouragement and criticism from the public in our hearts and become a Reformist Party that takes a leap forward."

Image source: Lee Jun-seok elected as the leader of the Reformist Party / News1