Minor Parties Win Local Seats: Progressive Party Doubles Wins, Reform Party Falls Short

South Korea's recent 6.3 local elections saw minor parties contest various positions, from provincial governors to local council members, with several achieving notable results. The Progressive Party, in particular, delivered a strong performance, nearly doubling its previous success by electing 41 candidates.

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This is a valuable achievement, doubling the number of successful candidates compared to the previous local elections. Especially in Honam, we secured 29 successful candidates, beginning to establish ourselves as an alternative party, and in Seoul, we opened up the possibility of progressive politics in the metropolitan area by electing 5 council members.

This victory included seven provincial council members and 34 city and county council members. The party highlighted its significant gains in the Honam region, where it secured 29 seats, positioning itself as an alternative political force. Even in the less favorable Yeongnam region, the Progressive Party managed to win one provincial council seat and three local council seats.

In contrast, the Reform Party experienced a disappointing election. Despite fielding 190 candidates in its first local election since its formation, the party secured only one local council seat. The Seoul mayoral candidate garnered a mere 0.82% of the vote. Party leader Lee Jun-seok acknowledged the results did not meet public expectations.

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We received results that did not meet the public's expectations.

The Justice Party also faced challenges, with its Seoul mayoral candidate failing to win. However, the party managed to elect six local council members nationwide. The party noted that five of its nine incumbent local council members were re-elected, interpreting this as a sign of recognition for their local work. The Green Party achieved a historic milestone by electing its first-ever local council member.

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We acknowledge that the results did not meet expectations.