On August 31, 2026, Park Jie-won appeared on YTN Radio’s “Jang Seong-cheol’s News Myeongdang” and said, in essence, that the Democratic Party would not accept Lee Jun-seok in relation to reports of Lee Jun-seok joining the Democratic Party of Korea and speculation about a merger between the Reform Party and the Democratic Party. Park described Lee Jun-seok as someone he had been close to after appearing together on broadcasts in the past, but added that Lee was not someone who would join the Democratic Party.

Key Developments

The key point in this issue is the need to distinguish Park Jie-won’s remarks from the Democratic Party’s official position. Park’s remarks alone do not establish the party’s collective platform or official policy.

Public-domain image of Park Jie-won
Park Jie-won · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Park Ju-su
Park Jie-won’s remarks have been confirmed as his personal public position regarding reports that Lee Jun-seok could join the Democratic Party.

Current Status

Reports of Lee Jun-seok joining the Democratic Party and of a Reform Party–Democratic Party merger have been covered in the media as “speculation by some observers.” No official announcement confirming an actual membership process or merger procedure has been identified.

The Democratic Party of Korea’s official website lists Kim Min-seok as party leader in August 2026 and posts activities by the party leader. However, the same search results did not identify any official announcement of Lee Jun-seok’s recruitment or a merger between the Democratic Party and the Reform Party.

Impact

On August 26, 2026, Lee Jun-seok resigned as leader of the Reform Party, taking responsibility for the defeat in the June 3 local elections and other matters. On August 31, the Reform Party stated at an official press briefing that Cheon Ha-ram would serve as acting party leader, while discussions were underway to stabilize the party after Lee Jun-seok’s resignation and organize its next leadership.

Accordingly, the changes currently confirmed are Lee Jun-seok’s resignation as party leader and the Reform Party’s transition to an acting-leader system. Lee Jun-seok joining the Democratic Party and a merger between the two parties remain matters of speculation requiring further confirmation, rather than established facts.

What to Watch Next

There are three points to monitor going forward.

  1. Whether the Democratic Party of Korea issues an official announcement regarding the recruitment of Lee Jun-seok
  2. Whether the Reform Party and the Democratic Party of Korea formally initiate merger procedures
  3. Whether the Reform Party finalizes a timetable for forming its next leadership

The sources currently identified are Maeil Business Newspaper (checked August 31, 2026), MobilityTV (checked August 31, 2026), the Reform Party’s official press releases, and the Democratic Party of Korea’s official website.

Sources:

  • [Maeil Business Newspaper: Park Jie-won: “Lee Jun-seok joining the party?… The Democratic Party will never accept him”](https://www.mk.co.kr/news/all/12140475)
  • [MobilityTV: Park Jie-won “strongly denies it”... Reports emerge of Lee Jun-seok joining the Democratic Party](https://mobilitytv.co.kr/featured/article/195735/)
  • [Reform Party official press releases](https://reformparty.kr/news/press)
  • [Briefing following Acting Party Leader Cheon Ha-ram’s press conference](https://reformparty.kr/news/press/205766-%EC%B2%9C%ED%95%98%EB%9E%8C-%EB%8B%B9%EB%8C%80%ED%91%9C-%EA%B6%8C%ED%95%9C%EB%8C%80%ED%96%89-%EA%B8%B0%EC%9E%90%EA%B0%84%EB%8B%B4%ED%9A%8C-%EB%B0%B1%EB%B8%8C%EB%A6%AC%ED%95%912026%EB%85%84-8%EC%9B%9431%EC%%EC%9D%BC)
  • [Democratic Party of Korea official website](https://www.theminjoo.kr/)