Lee Jun-seok gets nod as Reform Party's presidential candidate

The conservative minor opposition New Reform Party on Tuesday announced its decision to nominate Rep. Lee Jun-seok as the party’s presidential candidate for a potential early election, should President Yoon Suk Yeol be impeached.

Ham Ik-byeong, chair of the party's election management committee, said during a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, that Rep. Lee had been officially selected as the party's candidate for the 21st presidential election via its primary in which he was the sole contender.

According to the party, the primary was conducted in an online vote with the assistance of the National Election Commission, held on Saturday and Sunday. Of 77,364 registered party members, 39,914 participated. Among them, 37,046 — 92.81 percent — supported Lee’s candidacy, while 2,868 members, or 7.19 percent, opposed it.

On March 31, Lee will turn 40, the minimum age to hold the presidency in South Korea. His political career began in 2011 when he was recruited by Park Geun-hye — then the interim leader of the Grand National Party, a predecessor of today’s ruling People Power Party — ahead of the 2012 National Assembly election.

In 2021, Lee became the youngest-ever leader of the People Power Party and played a key role in Yoon Suk Yeol's presidential campaign.

However, Lee left the party in December 2023 following internal conflicts, particularly with senior members aligned with Yoon. In 2024, he founded the New Reform Party, positioning it as a conservative alternative to the People Power Party.

In a YouTube video uploaded Friday to the party’s official channel, the Harvard graduate highlighted his strengths in international diplomacy and communication, citing his global network and negotiation skills.

Particularly stressing the need for a new diplomatic strategy to address the second Donald Trump administration in the US, Lee argued that South Korea should shift away from “a subservient approach” and instead pursue pragmatic, interest-driven diplomacy.

On domestic policy, Lee pledged to reform government ministries for efficiency.

Lee proposed reevaluating the roles of certain ministries, including merging the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as well as streamlining the Ministry of Unification by shifting its functions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He suggested separating the science and ICT sectors into a standalone Ministry of Science, citing the growing importance of science and technology.

Lee's economic agenda includes reforming the pension system and inheritance tax policies to boost business vitality and serve individuals. In education, Lee vowed to invest heavily in math and science education.

Regarding artificial intelligence, Lee expressed a commitment to minimal regulation, saying, “We should focus on what’s truly necessary and ensure that neither research nor commercialization is obstructed by regulatory barriers. Talent must be at the center of it all.”

Lee also addressed legal privileges for the president, emphasizing that presidential immunity should not cover crimes committed prior to assuming office — a remark seen as a criticism of Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the leader and presidential front-runner for the Democratic Party of Korea.

Lee Jun-seok further ruled out a presidential pardon for Yoon, referring to the president’s Dec. 3, 2024, declaration of martial law as a serious breach of constitutional order.