Cho Kuk, Lee Jun-seok come up empty in June 3 vote, exposing limits of third-party politics

By Jung Seok-jun, The Herald Business

Third-party groups including the Rebuilding Korea Party and the Reform Party turned in disappointing performances in the June 3 local elections, reaffirming the dominance of the two-party system anchored by the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party. Minor parties now face the challenge of proving their relevance before the 2028 general election.

Of the 261 Rebuilding Korea Party candidates on the ballot, 48 won seats — including the Jangheung-gun and Sinan-gun county chief races — according to the National Election Commission on Friday. Former party leader Cho Kuk, who ran in the Pyeongtaek National Assembly by-election in Gyeonggi Province, finished third and lost.

The party's gains were in effect confined to the Honam region. Of the 48 winners, all but two — proportional representation seats on provincial councils in Gyeonggi Province and Jeju — came from Gwangju, South Jeolla Province and North Jeolla Province. Despite billing itself as a national party, the Rebuilding Korea Party had not broken free of its image as a Honam-based organization.

Cho's defeat was the most damaging blow. On Wednesday, he announced he would step down as party leader to take responsibility for the outcome. The loss leaves the Rebuilding Korea Party without a leadership structure for the second time in roughly 18 months, following Cho's pardon and reinstatement of civil rights in November last year.

Political observers say Cho's resignation could also reshape the party's relationship with the Democratic Party. As the party works through its accountability process, long-discussed talks about a merger with the Democratic Party could resurface.

The two parties held merger discussions in February but the talks fell apart. Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae, citing the Ulsan mayoral candidate unification as a model, said Wednesday that the party would "deeply consider and research, through a public deliberation process, how to build alliances with other parties" — signaling openness to a future merger.

The Reform Party fielded 190 candidates across mayoral, gubernatorial, provincial and local council races as well as National Assembly by-elections, but managed to win just one local council seat. The sole winner came from a Hwaseong city council race in Gyeonggi Province, the home district of party leader Lee Jun-seok.

Cho Eung-cheon, a former lawmaker recruited to run for Gyeonggi Province governor, finished third with 4.32 percent of the vote. Seoul mayoral candidate Kim Jeong-cheol received 0.82 percent, finishing fifth — behind Justice Party candidate Kwon Yeong-guk at 1.03 percent and Women's Party candidate Yoo Ji-hye at 0.84 percent. The party's Busan mayoral candidate, Jeong I-han, received 1.56 percent.

Lee dissolved the party's central campaign committee on Wednesday and acknowledged the defeat. "The Reform Party did not meet the expectations of the people in this local election, and I accept that result with gravity and humility," he said. "The responsibility for our outstanding candidates not receiving the results they deserved rests entirely with me, Lee Jun-seok, and the central party, for failing to give them sufficient support due to our limited party strength."

Political analysts say the election has further entrenched the two-party system. With the Democratic Party securing broad control of local governments and the People Power Party holding Seoul and the Yeongnam region, the space for third parties has narrowed even further.

Looking ahead to the 2028 general election, the Reform Party may find it difficult to rule out building a broad conservative alliance with the People Power Party. With the two-party structure hardened by these results, analysts say the two sides could join forces for survival. One People Power Party lawmaker said the election produced several new variables — including the split of conservative votes and the victory of Han Dong-hoon as an independent candidate — and that "it is now time for the broad conservative camp to unite and focus on checking the ruling party."