Unified Progressive Party
Unified Progressive Party | |
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File:UPPkorealogo.png | |
Leader[note 1] | Kang Ki-kab[1] Yoo Seon-hee[2] |
Founded | 5 December 2011 |
Merger of | People's Participation Party, Democratic Labor Party, elements of the New Progressive Party |
Headquarters | Noryangjin-ro 12, Solbom Building 12th floor, Dongjak-gu, Seoul |
Ideology | Progressivism[3] |
Political position | Left-wing[4][5] |
Colours | Purple |
Seats in the National Assembly | 6 / 300
|
Website | |
(Korean) | |
Unified Progressive Party | |
Hangul | 통합진보당 |
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Hanja | 統合進步黨 |
Revised Romanization | Tonghap Jinbodang |
McCune–Reischauer | T'onghap-jinbodang |
The Unified Progressive Party (UPP; Korean: 통합진보당, RR: Tonghap Jinbo-dang, Hanja: 統合進步黨) is a left-leaning political party in South Korea. It was founded on 5 December 2011 as a merger of the Democratic Labor Party, the People's Participation Party of Rhyu Si-min, and a faction of the New Progressive Party.[3][6] Until 12 May 2012 it was jointly chaired by Rhyu Si-min, Lee Jung-hee, and Sim Sang-jeong.[5][7]
The UPP has proposed an alliance with the major liberal Democratic United Party (DUP), which the DUP has rejected.[5]
In the 2012 National Assembly election the party gained eight seats for a total of thirteen seats out of 300, advancing to the third position, well ahead of the conservative Liberty Forward Party (which lost most of its seats).
On 24 April 2012, the party provisionally voted to drop the "Unified" component of its name, and adopt the name "Progressive Party". The change is subject to a vote of the party's Central Committee on 13 May.[8] On 3 May 2012, the party internal investigation revealed that wide-ranging irregularities occurred in selecting UPP's proportional representation candidates.[9][10] UPP won six proportional representatives in the 11 April general election,[11] but one legislator resigned amid the election scandal. All four co-leaders of the party subsequently resigned on 12 May.[12]
On 5 Sept 2013, South Korea’s spy agency arrested a leftist lawmaker accused of plotting a pro-North Korean rebellion in a case that has triggered a political and media firestorm in a nation where even praising the North can be considered a crime. [13] In august 2013, South Korea's spy agency accused Lee Seok-ki, a lawmaker from the leftist United Progressive Party(UPP), of plotting to overthrow the country's democratically elected government if war broke out with North Korea. He allegedly led a secret May meeting of 130 members of his party aimed at attacking South Korean infrastructure if the heighteded tensions between Koreas in the spring of 2013 had led to war.
Therefore South Korean prosecutors indicted a left-wing lawmaker Thursday on charges that he was plotting a pro-North Korea rebellion to overthrow the government, saying his plan posed a “grave” national security threat.[14]
Position on North Korea
On 18 June 2012 the Unified Progressive Party announced a blueprint for reform of the party's political positions, including adoption of a critical position regarding North Korea's human rights record, a spokesman stating, "North Korea’s record on human rights cannot be justified at all, even when considering its dire economic situation".[15] The party's reform effort also included criticism of North Korea's nuclear weapons program and practice of hereditary succession. The party clarified its call for an end to military cooperation with the United States, explaining that that should follow peace with North Korea, denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, and reunification.[16]
Notes
References
- ^ "Leftist party splitting up". The Korea Times. 14 May 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
- ^ a b "Split of leftist party imminent". The Korea Times. 20 May 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- ^ a b "Minor parties launch 'Unified Progressive Party'", The Korea Times, 5 December 2011, retrieved 1 February 2012
- ^ Liberal parties agree to field unified candidates for April elections, Yonhap News Agency, 10 March 2012
- ^ a b c Bae Hyun-jung (20 January 2012), "Minority parties struggle", The Korea Herald, retrieved 1 February 2012
- ^ "S. Korea's minor parties coalesce to form new progressive party", People's Daily Online, 5 December 2012, retrieved 1 February 2012
- ^ Progressive parties unified, Yonhap News Agency, retrieved 1 February 2012
- ^ Progressives drop ‘united’ from party name, The Korea Herald. 24 April 2012, retrieved 24 April 2012.
- ^ "UPP should clearly settle vote irregularity scandal". Yonhap News. 2 May 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
- ^ Huh Yun-seok(허윤석) (3 May 2012). "'지도부 사퇴' 밝힌 진보당, 비례대표 거취 '충돌'". SBS (in Korean). Retrieved 3 May 2012.
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suggested) (help) - ^ Kim Hee-jin (3 May 2012). "UPP admits its primary was rigged". JoongAng daily. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
- ^ "Leftist party leaders resign over election scandal". The Korea Times. 12 May 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
- ^ South Korea Lawmaker Arrested in Alleged Rebellion Plot
- ^ South Korean prosecutors charge leftist lawmaker with plotting pro-North Korea rebellion
- ^ Kang Hyun-kyung (18 June 2012). "Leftist party set to shift stance on NK". Korean Times. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
Briefing on the key elements of the UPP tasks on behalf of the party, Rep. Park Won-suk said North Korea's record on human rights cannot be justified at all, even when considering its dire economic situation.
- ^ "Committee of progressive party deplores N.K. human rights, power succession". Yonhap. 18 June 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
a clear condemnation of North Korea's human rights situation, its nuclear weapons program and hereditary succession of power.