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Democratic Party (South Korea, 2015)

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"Minjoo" redirects here. For the given name, see Min-ju. Not to be confused with the People's Party for New Politics or the Minjoo Party (2014).
Minjoo Party of Korea
더불어민주당
Deobureo Minjudang
LeaderKim Chong-in
Founded26 March 2014 (2014-03-26) (New Politics Alliance for Democracy)
28 December 2015 (2015-12-28) (The Minjoo Party of Korea)
Merger ofDemocratic Party and New Political Vision Party
Headquarters14, Gukhoe-daero 68-gil, Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul
IdeologyLiberalism (South Korean)
Social liberalism
Political positionCentre[1] to Centre-left[2]
International affiliationProgressive Alliance
ColorsBlue[N 1][3]
Seats in the National Assembly
123 / 300
Municipal mayor and Gubernatorial
9 / 17
Seats within local government
1,581 / 3,913
Website
theminjoo.kr
Democratic Party
Hangul
더불어민주당
Hanja
더불어民主黨[N 2]
Revised RomanizationDeobureo minjudang
McCune–ReischauerTŏburŏ minjudang
New Politics Alliance for Democracy
Hangul
새정치민주연합
Hanja
새政治民主聯合[N 3]
Revised RomanizationSaejeongchi minju yeonhap
McCune–ReischauerSaejŏngch'i minju yŏnhap

The Minjoo Party of Korea[N 4] (Korean: 더불어민주당; Hanja: 더불어民主黨; RR: Deobureo Minjudang; lit. Together Democratic Party; short form 더민주, Deominju, "Minjoo"),[4] formerly the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD),[5] is a social liberal political party in South Korea. It was founded on 26 March 2014 as a merger of the Democratic Party and the preparatory committee of the New Political Vision Party (NPVP). The former Democratic Party was legally absorbed into the NPAD after the latter's creation, while the preparatory committee of the NPVP was dissolved, with members who supported the merger joining the NPAD individually.

History

Formation and Ahn–Kim chairmanship (March–July 2014)

The Minjoo Party was formed as the Template:Hangugeo on 26 March 2014 after the independent faction led by Ahn Cheol-soo, then in the process of forming a party called the New Political Vision Party, merged with the main opposition Democratic Party, led by Kim Han-gil. Ahn and Kim became joint leaders of the new party.[6] The party performed poorly in by-elections that July, however, and both leaders stepped down, having served for three months. Leadership of the party was assumed by an emergency committee.[7]

Ahn–Moon controversy and split (2015–16)

The next year, at a party convention on February 7, Moon Jae-in was elected the new chairman of the party.[8] Moon, who had previously served as chief of staff for former president Roh Moo-hyun,[8] was the leader of the party's "pro-Roh" faction, which was opposed to Ahn and Kim. Moon came under fire for imposing a "pro-Roh hegemony" in the party, as Ahn and Kim were jeered and harassed at a memorial service for Roh held in May 2015.[9]

The party hemorrhaged support as the factional conflict intensified, falling from around 40 to 30 percent in opinion polls.[10] A survey conducted on November 12–14 showed that supporters of the party wanted Ahn and Seoul mayor Park Won-soon to assume the leadership alongside Moon.[11] On November 29, Ahn rejected a proposal from Moon to establish a joint leadership,[12] and the next month he presented Moon with an ultimatum, demanding that he call a convention to elect a new party leader. Moon rejected the demand,[13] and Ahn left the party.[14]

Ahn was followed by a number of supportive NPAD assembly members, including his former co-leader Kim Han-gil,[15] and the group began preparations to form a new party.[16] On January 12, Kwon Rho-kap, a former aide of President Kim Dae-jung and a popular figure in the party's traditional stronghold of Honam, also exited the party, similarly citing Moon's "pro-Roh hegemony".[17] Meanwhile, Ahn and Kim merged their group with that of another defector from the NPAD, Chun Jung-bae, to form the People's Party.[18]

Following the defections, the NPAD was renamed the Minjoo Party of Korea, and Moon resigned on 27 January 2016.[19] Moon handed power to Kim Chong-in, an academic and former assemblyman who had more recently served as economic advisor to conservative President Park Geun-hye.[20][21] Kim was seen as an unexpected choice, as he had previously worked for the right-wing Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo administrations in the 1980s,[22] serving as an assembly member for the ruling Democratic Justice Party and as health and welfare minister under Roh.[23]

Under Kim Chong-in (2016–present)

Kim Chong-in viewed the pro–Roh Moo-hyun faction and what he considered the extremist wing of the party as responsible for the party's troubles, and pledged to diminish their influence.[24] In the lead-up to the 2016 parliamentary election he moved against key members of the pro-Roh faction in the nominations process, deselecting Lee Hae-chan, who had been Prime Minister under Roh and was now chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation.[25] Lee left the party in response.[24] Kim's moves proved controversial, and many of his nominations for the party's proportional representation list were rejected by the rest of the party leadership, while favored candidates of Moon were ranked near the top of the approved list. Kim offered to resign in March, but decided to stay on as leader after a personal visit from Moon.[26] Kim affirmed that he would continue to attempt to change the party's image, stating that the events had shown the party was "still unable to move on from its old ways".[20]

Though losing votes to the People's Party formed by Ahn, Chun and Kim Han-gil—particularly in Honam[10]—the party emerged as the overall winner of the election, garnering a plurality of seats in the National Assembly with a margin of one seat over the Saenuri Party. Lee Hae-chan returned to the Assembly as an independent representing Sejong City. Following its election victory, Kim Chong-in announced that the Minjoo Party would change its emphasis from welfare to economic growth and structural reform. Kim stated that the party would also change its position to support the establishment of for-profit hospitals, in contrast to the party's earlier opposition to the policy.[27]

List of leaders

Chairpersons

  1. Ahn Cheol-soo and Kim Han-gil (co-serving; 26 March 2014 – 31 July 2014)
    • Emergency Planning Committee (31 July 2014 – 4 August 2014)
    • Park Young-sun (4 August 2014 – 18 September 2014) acting
    • Moon Hee-sang (18 September 2014 – 9 February 2015) interim
  2. Moon Jae-in (9 February 2015 – 27 January 2016)
    • Kim Chong-in as head of Emergency Planning Committee (27 January 2016 – present)

Assembly leaders (Floor leaders)

  1. Jun Byung-hun (26 March 2014 – 7 May 2014)
  2. Park Young-sun (7 May 2014 – 2 October 2014)
  3. Woo Yoon-keun (8 October 2014 – 6 May 2015)
  4. Lee Jong-kul (6 May 2015 – 4 May 2016)
  5. Woo Sang-ho (4 May 2016 – present)

Election results

Legislative elections

Election Total seats won Total votes Vote share Outcome of election Leader
Minjoo Party of Korea
2016
123 / 300
6,069,744 / 23,760,977
 25.5% Increase 21 seats; Plurality Kim Chong-in (acting)

Local elections

Election Metropolitan mayors
and governors 		Provincial legislators Municipal mayors Municipal legislators Leader
New Politics Alliance for Democracy
2014
9 / 17
349 / 789
78 / 226
1,157 / 2,898
 Kim Han-gil; Ahn Cheol-soo

Footnotes

  1. ^ Officially described as "sea blue" (바다파랑) by the party.
  2. ^ 共同民主黨 or other variants are translated names in Chinese and Japanese.
  3. ^ 新政治(民主)聯合 or other variants are translated names in Chinese and Japanese.
  4. ^ Officially "The Minjoo Party of Korea", "The Minjoo". Also known as the "Minju Party" after the Revised Romanization of the Korean.

See also

References

  1. ^ Kang, Jiwon (2 March 2014). "[강지원의 뉴스! 정면승부] "국가지도자 추구하는 안철수, 의원 2명인 곳에서 뜻 펼치긴 어려워"-민주당 설훈 의원" (in Korean). YTN. Retrieved 1 April 2014. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |trans_title= (help)
  2. ^ Chae, Jongwon (31 March 2014). 안보·경제민주화 양축…金·安 공동대표 가능성 (in Korean). Maeil Economy. Retrieved 1 April 2014. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |trans_title= (help)
  3. ^ Park, Cheoljoong (16 March 2014). 바다파랑 '새정치민주연합', 썩지 않는 바다처럼 (in Korean). News1. Retrieved 22 April 2014. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |trans_title= (help)
  4. ^ Main Opposition To Be Called 'The Minjoo Party Of Korea'. tbs. 30 December 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2015. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |trans_title= (help); Invalid |script-title=: missing prefix (help)
  5. ^ Choi, He-suk (20 March 2014). 새정치민주연합 영문 당명 확정 (in Korean). The Korea Herald. Retrieved 22 April 2014. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |trans_title= (help)
  6. ^ "Democratic Party, Ahn Cheol-soo agree to create new party". The Dong-A Ilbo. 3 March 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  7. ^ "Co-chairmen quit amid election rubble". Korea JoongAng Daily. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Main opposition party picks ex-Roh aide as new leader". {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  9. ^ "Roh son's speech creates stir". The Korea Times. 24 May 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  10. ^ a b "In liberal stronghold, voters give main opposition party a lashing". The Hankyoreh. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  11. ^ "NPAD supporters wish for troika". Korea JoongAng Daily. 18 November 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  12. ^ "Ahn rejects Moon's call for joint NPAD leadership". The Korea Herald. 29 November 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  13. ^ "NPAD's Moon rejects Ahn demand". Korea JoongAng Daily. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  14. ^ "Ahn Cheol-soo calls it quits with NPAD". The Korea Times. 13 December 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  15. ^ "Kim departs party he co-founded". Korea JoongAng Daily. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  16. ^ "Ahn vows to move forward as 3rd political force". The Korea Herald. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  17. ^ "Former Kim DJ aide exits Minjoo Party". The Korea Herald. 12 January 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  18. ^ "Ahn Cheol-Soo, Chun Jung-Bae To Create New Party". TBS eFM. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  19. ^ "Moon Jae-in steps down as leader of The Minjoo Party of Korea". The Hankyoreh. 28 January 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  20. ^ a b "Minjoo's identity must be changed: Kim Chong-in". Korea JoongAng Daily. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  21. ^ "South Koreans go to the polls in parliamentary election". Business Insider. 13 April 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  22. ^ "Can a Right Wing Defector Save Korea's Liberal Opposition?". The Diplomat. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  23. ^ "South Korean president replaces minister, 6 Cabinet members". United Press International. 19 July 1989. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  24. ^ a b "Former P.M. quits Minjoo Party in nomination feud". The Korea Herald. 15 March 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  25. ^ "Kim Jong-in Gets Rid of Pro-Roh Dominance and Replaces the Mainstream: Signs of Factional Conflict". The Kyunghyang Shinmun. 15 April 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  26. ^ "Opposition chief quells dissenters". The Korea Herald. 23 March 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  27. ^ "Opposition party shifting to growth". The Korea Times. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
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