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Lee Jun-seok, the New Reform Party’s presidential candidate, speaks to reporters after reviewing exit polls from the three major broadcasters at the party’s ballot monitoring room in the National Assembly Members’ Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on June 3. / Source: Yonhap News

Rep. Lee Jun-seok of the New Reform Party has registered as the sole candidate for the party’s upcoming leadership election, set to take place during a national convention on July 27. The vote will be held as a simple yes-or-no confirmation.

With no other contenders in the race, the party is expected to formally enter the Lee Jun-seok leadership system and focus on preparations for the June 2026 local elections.

On July 10, the New Reform Party announced its official list of candidates for party leader and supreme council members, marking the start of its internal election campaign. Given that most party members are known supporters of Lee, his confirmation as party leader appears all but certain barring any surprises.

Meanwhile, seven candidates have entered the race for the party’s three supreme council positions. In ballot order, the candidates are:

• Lee Yu-won, head of the Dongjak-eul district chapter in Seoul

• Kim Jeong-cheol, chair of the party’s legal advisory committee

• Gong Pil-seong, head of AI public outreach during the presidential campaign

• Kim Seong-yeol, special advisor to the party leader

• Lee Hye-sook, head of the Gwanak-gap chapter in Seoul

• Joo Isaac, Seodaemun District Council member

• Lee Seong-jin, acting chair of the Chungnam provincial chapter

With seven candidates vying for three spots, party officials are optimistic about voter engagement in the leadership race. “We were worried at first whether we’d even get three candidates, but this has turned into a surprisingly competitive race,” said Secretary-General Kim Cheol-geun. “It reflects rising expectations for the upcoming local elections following the presidential campaign.”