Yu Sung-yup

Yu was the candidate for mayor of Jeongup from the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) during the local election in 2002.^[1] He defeated the incumbent Kuk Seung-rock^[2] who faced harsh criticisms at the end of his term.^[3] He left the MDP and joined the Uri Party in October 2003.^[4] He ran for the party's primary of Governor of North Jeolla in the early 2006,^[5] but defeated by Kim Wan-joo.^{[6][unreliable source?]}

He won as an independent candidate^[7] for Jeongeup during the parliamentary election in 2008 and won again in 2012. Later, he shortly entered New Politics Alliance for Democracy but left the party and joined People's Party.^[8] In 2016, he ran for the newly formed Jeongeup-Gochang constituency and defeated Ha Jeong-yeol of the Democratic Party.^[9]

In the early 2018, Yu left the People's Party and joined the newly formed Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP). He ran for the party's presidency during the leadership election in August 2018 but came behind Chung Dong-young,^[10] a former presidential candidate in 2007 South Korean presidential election. Instead, he became one of the Vice Presidents,^[10] but quit the position when he was elected the party's parliamentary leader.^[11][12]

On 12 August 2019, Yu left the PDP along with the party's dissidents group named Alternative Political Alliance for Change and Hope (later the New Alternatives).^[13] On 24 February 2020, he was elected as the co-president of the newly formed Minsaeng Party, along with Park Joo-hyun.^[14]

On 30 December 2021, Yu was one of the 12 former MPs who joined or returned to the ruling Democratic Party.^[15][16] On 24 June 2025, Yu died from a stroke, at the age of 65.^[17]

Yu was a conservative and economically liberal who criticised President Moon Jae-in. He opposed Moon's Keynesian economic policy while advocating tax reductions.^[18][19] He also had a sceptical view towards minimum wages.^[18][19]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Yu urged the government to ban Chinese citizens from entering South Korea in order to protect locals.^[20]