Reform New Party, Nomination Application Deadline... Leadership Contemplating Candidacy

As the deadline for the Reform New Party's constituency nomination applications approaches on the 6th, the party leadership's key figures are facing deep deliberation. Within the party, there is an opinion that the leadership should take the lead by running in challenging districts to strengthen the general election campaign. However, there are also concerns about the practical limitations of having the entire leadership run in the election due to limited human resources.

According to the Reform New Party's Nomination Management Committee, the party is accepting applications for constituency candidates for the April 10 general election until 6 p.m. today. So far, about 100 candidates have applied for constituency nominations. However, key leadership figures such as Kim Yong-nam, Chair of the Policy Committee, Kim Cheol-geun, Secretary-General, Heo Eun-ah, Chief Spokesperson, and Cheon Ha-ram, former Supreme Council member, have not registered their names on the application list. Earlier, Geum Tae-seop, a Supreme Council member, declared his candidacy in Jongno, Seoul.

Immediately, there has been speculation that Kim Yong-nam, Chair of the Policy Committee, might run in Gyeonggi Suwon-si-byeong, his former constituency during the Saenuri Party era, but he is reportedly still considering his options. Secretary-General Kim Cheol-geun was also mentioned as a candidate for Seoul Guro-gap and Gangseo-byeong, where he ran during the People's Party and United Future Party periods, but he is watching the party situation until the last moment.

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform New Party, and Kim Jong-in, chairman of the nomination management committee, are attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 26th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

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The prolonged hesitation among key party leaders regarding nomination applications is attributed to the issue of limited personnel. It is explained that if the leadership, responsible for policy development and core administrative tasks, runs in the general election, disruptions in election support are inevitable. A key party leadership official told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "It is true that they are considering (the nomination application), but if the entire leadership runs in the general election, the question arises as to who will actually manage the party."

Low party approval ratings also contribute to the reluctance to apply for nominations. In a regular opinion poll conducted jointly by Yonhap News and Yonhap News TV through the polling firm Metrics on the 2nd and 3rd, surveying 1,000 men and women nationwide aged 18 and over, the response to the question "If the general election were tomorrow, which party's candidate would you vote for as a constituency member?" showed that support for the Reform New Party remained in the 2% range. The Jo Guk New Party had 3%, and Saeroun Mirae had 1%. The support gap among the three parties was within the margin of error (±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level).

With the party's approval rating remaining in the single digits, it appears that running as a proportional representation candidate offers a higher chance of winning than running in a constituency. Political circles expect that the Reform New Party would secure around five seats if it achieves more than 10% of the proportional vote. Therefore, entering the National Assembly is challenging whether running in constituencies or as proportional representatives. A party official said, "Party leadership figures will likely decide on their candidacy districts after careful consideration until the last moment," adding, "There is a strong opinion that efforts should be concentrated in the metropolitan area, especially around the semiconductor belt."

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