New parties struggle to offer alternative to PPP and DP

Rep. Yang Hyang-ja, left, shakes hands with former DP lawmaker Keum Tae-sup at the launching ceremony of the Hope of Korea party at the National Assembly on Aug. 28. [YONHAP]

Former Democratic Party lawmaker Yang Hyang-ja in August launched her own party, the Hope of Korea party.

She said the party aims to unify people while focusing on the nation's economy and providing a future vision for the country.

Yang wants to transform Korea into a leading nation that sets the standard for others to follow.

Another former DP legislator, Keum Tae-sup, also started his own party, the New Party, with the goal of pursuing "politics based on common sense and reason."

These new parties say they offer voters an alternative to the two largest political parties in Korea, the People Power Party (PPP) and the DP.

However, despite the ambitious goals and name recognition of Yang and Keum, neither the Hope of Korea nor the New Party has gained significant public attention, failing to even appear by name in recent political surveys.

In a recent Realmeter survey conducted between Sept. 21 and 22, the Democratic Party received the highest support at 46.1 percent, followed by the People Power Party with 37.5 percent.

The Justice Party garnered only 3.1 percent support, and other smaller parties were grouped together at 1.9 percent.

Approximately 21 percent of respondents said they did not support any political party.

These newly launched parties have struggled to gain support despite their initial promise. Similar results have been observed in other surveys, including Gallup Korea.

Political experts suggest that the ongoing disputes and policy shortcomings of both the PPP and the DP led to the emergence of third parties.

However, the constant clashes between these two major parties have also overshadowed the presence of alternative parties.

“The PPP’s ideological controversies and DP leader Lee Jae-myung's legal issues have not only galvanized their most loyal supporters but have also overwhelmed interest in other alternative parties,” said an employee of one pollster.

Some observers say the newly established parties lack distinct issues or high-profile politicians to attract public interest.

“For third parties to gain support, they need a politician who could potentially become a presidential candidate,” Lee Taek-soo, Realmeter CEO, said during a radio interview on Sept. 25. “But currently, there are no such candidates.”

There have been unsuccessful attempts by political parties in recent years to challenge the dominance of the two major parties, such as the Bareun Party, which initially split from the conservative party but later merged with the PPP.

Additionally, the newly established parties are struggling to recruit high-profile politicians, and no incumbent lawmakers have joined either the Hope of Korea party or the New Party. This lack of notable figures has contributed to their challenges.

Due to their low levels of support, there is speculation that the two new parties may eventually merge. Ryu Ho-jeong, a young lawmaker from the Justice Party, may consider joining these parties if they combine.

Despite their current low levels of support, figures from both the Hope of Korea and the New Party say that their parties have just begun, and that they will work to convince the public that alternative parties are essential for correcting Korea's political landscape.

BY KIM JUN-YOUNG, KIM JEONG-JAE [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]