# South Korean Reform Party leadership changes

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-reform-party-leadership-changes
> Updated: 2026-08-25T22:20:47.000Z. Sources: 13. Developments: 2.

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party, initially engaged in political criticism against President Lee Jae-myung regarding the reversal of the Individual Savings Account (ISA) reform plan. Lee Jun-seok characterized the administration’s handling of stock and tax policies as “amateurish” and questioned the President’s leadership.

Following the Reform Party’s poor performance in the June 3 local elections, where the party secured only one local council seat, Lee Jun-seok resigned from his position as party leader. He cited a failure to gain sufficient internal support for his reform efforts. His resignation was followed by the departure of the party’s policy committee chair and supreme council members, leaving floor leader Cheon Ha-ram to serve as acting leader.

## Claims

- Lee Jun-seok resigned as leader of the Reform Party. (corroborated by 7 sources)
- The Reform Party secured only one local council seat in the June 3 local elections. (corroborated by 6 sources)
- Jeong Yi-han, a former Busan mayoral candidate for the Reform Party, staged an attack on himself to increase his public recognition. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Jeong requested a green tea latte instead of water because the color would be more visible on his clothes. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The conspirators planned specific dialogue, including the accomplice shouting, ‘What kind of mayor is this kid?’ (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Jeong and his accomplice provided false statements to police, claiming they did not know each other. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Jeong's spouse was aware of the staged attack and submitted a false petition for leniency for the accomplice. (corroborated by 2 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-08-25: Lee Jun-seok resigns as Reform Party leader

Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok has resigned following poor local election results and a scandal involving former candidate Jeong Yi-han, who staged a fake attack to increase his public recognition.

13 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/jeong-yi-han-staged-attack-to-boost-profile-investigation-reveals

### 2026-08-10: Lee Jun-seok criticizes President Lee over ISA reform reversal

Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok criticized President Lee Jae-myung for reversing ISA reform plans, calling the administration's policy management amateurish and lacking leadership.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/lee-jun-seok-criticizes-president-lee-over-isa-reform-reversal

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Cite as: South Korean Reform Party leadership changes. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/south-korean-reform-party-leadership-changes