New Future Democratic Party
Political party in South Korea
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The New Future Democratic Party (Korean: 새미래민주당) is a South Korean political party formed by an anti-Lee Jae-myung faction from the Democratic Party led by former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon.[2] Originally founded as the New Future Party (새로운미래), the party was renamed on 7 September 2024.[3]
New Future Democratic Party 새미래민주당 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Jun Byung-hun |
| Chair of the Policy Planning Committee | Jang Duck-chun |
| Founder | Lee Nak-yon |
| Founded | 4 February 2024[a] |
| Split from | Democratic Party of Korea |
| Membership (April 2025) | 100,000[1] |
| Ideology | Centrist reformism |
| Colours | Turquoise Blue |
| National Assembly | 0 / 300 |
| Metropolitan Mayors and Governors | 0 / 17 |
| Municipal Mayors | 0 / 226 |
| Provincial and Metropolitan Councillors | 2 / 872 |
| Municipal Councillors | 9 / 2,988 |
| Website | |
www | |
History
The party was founded on 4 February 2024 by former Democratic Party leader and Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, who had grown critical of then Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung. The initial leadership consisted of a co-leadership between Lee Nak-yon and Kim Jong-min.
The party merged with Lee Jun-seok's newly founded Reform Party on 9 February with new party being led by Lee Nak-yon and Lee Jun-seok.[4] However, on 20 February, Lee Nak-yon and the New Future Party announced their withdrawal from the merger with the New Reform Party, with members who had joined the Reform Party re-joining the re-established New Future Party.[5]
On 11 March 2024, Hong Young-pyo, the member for Incheon Bupyong B in the National Assembly, officially joined the party.[6] An additional two members of the National Assembly; Oh Yeong-hwan and Sul Hoon joined the party on 17 March.[7][8][9]
In the 2024 South Korean legislative election, Kim Jong-min won in the Sejong A constituency to sit as the party's only member in the National Assembly but later left the party on 1 September.[10]
On 18 May 2025, Lee Seok-hyun, a close ally of Lee Nak-yeon who had helped found the party, left the party declaring his support for Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party in the 2025 presidential election.[11]
In the 2025 South Korean presidential election, party founder Lee Nak-yon declared his support for Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party, drawing criticism from both within the party and the Democratic Party.[12][13] Former co-leader Kim Jong-min strongly criticized the endorsement referring to it as "an alliance that should never have been established."[14]
Ideology
The party's manifesto said that it will "stand up for centrist reformism". It also said the party "opposes both market fundamentalism and populism".[15]
Election results
| Election | Leader | Constituency | Party list | Seats | Pos. | Status | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | +/- | Votes | % | Seats | +/- | No. | +/– | ||||
| 2024 | Lee Nak-yon Kim Jong-min |
200,502 | 0.70 | New | 1 / 254 |
483,827 | 1.71 | New | 0 / 46 |
5th | 1 / 300 |
5th | Opposition |
