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| People's Party (South Korea, 2016) | |
|---|---|
| Name | People's Party |
| Native name | 국민의당 |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Dissolved | 2018 |
| Founder | Ahn Cheol-soo |
| Headquarters | Seoul |
| Ideology | Centrism, Third Way |
| Position | Centre |
| Colours | Orange |
| Country | South Korea |
People's Party (South Korea, 2016) was a South Korean political party founded in 2016 by Ahn Cheol-soo as a centrist alternative to Saenuri Party, Democratic Party of Korea, and Justice Party. It contested the 2016 legislative election and briefly held a pivotal role in the 20th National Assembly of South Korea, influencing debates around the 2016 South Korean political scandal and the impeachment of Park Geun-hye. The party drew figures from academia, business, and regional politics, positioning itself between established conservative and progressive blocs.
The party emerged when Ahn Cheol-soo, a former Microsoft entrepreneur and Seoul National University alumnus, split from New Politics Alliance for Democracy after the 2012 presidential election and created a new organization in 2016 to challenge the dominance of Lee Myung-bak-era conservatives and the incumbent liberal establishment. It registered ahead of the 2016 legislative contest, recruiting defectors from People Power Party (2016)-aligned lists and regional politicians from North Jeolla Province and South Jeolla Province. In the aftermath of the 2016 election, the party held balance-of-power seats in the National Assembly and played a key role during the political crisis that led to the impeachment and removal of Park Geun-hye by the Constitutional Court of Korea in 2017.
The party articulated a centrist, technocratic platform influenced by Ahn's background in software engineering and medical research, advocating a Third Way approach that combined market-friendly reforms with social safety measures. It promoted regional development policies targeting the Honam region, proposed fiscal measures referencing models debated in OECD forums, and emphasized anti-corruption reforms tied to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. The platform addressed relations with North Korea through conditional engagement, referenced diplomatic norms of Moon Jae-in-era negotiations, and sought electoral reform including changes to the National Assembly electoral system.
Leadership centered on founder Ahn Cheol-soo, who held the party presidency and served as a public figure alongside parliamentary leaders elected from constituencies such as Sejong City and Gwangju. The party established regional chapters across Gangwon Province, Gyeongsangnam-do, and Busan, drawing notable politicians from Korea University, Yonsei University, and industry leaders with ties to Samsung and Hyundai. Structural organs included a policy committee modeled after think tanks like the Asan Institute for Policy Studies and internal ethics panels referencing precedents set by National Human Rights Commission of Korea.
In the 2016 legislative election, the party secured a significant block of seats in the 20th National Assembly of South Korea, winning constituencies in Jeonju, Gimje, and other Jeolla Province districts, and achieved representation through proportional lists. Its performance disrupted expectations for the Saenuri Party and Minjoo Party in several urban and regional contests. The party's showing influenced the composition of parliamentary committees during the impeachment proceedings and affected coalition arithmetic in votes involving Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and cabinet confirmations.
The party advocated anti-corruption measures targeting practices linked to the Choi Soon-sil scandal and backed legislative inquiries into Samsung Group and other conglomerates with opaque ties to political figures. It proposed reforms to the National Pension Service, measures to boost small and medium-sized enterprises with references to Ministry of SMEs and Startups programs, and advocated research-driven healthcare policy invoking standards from World Health Organization briefings. On foreign affairs, it favored pragmatic ties with United States, pragmatic engagement with China, and conditional dialogue with Democratic People's Republic of Korea while aligning with multilateral institutions like the United Nations.
The party experienced factional tensions leading to defections and negotiations with other political groups such as the People Power Party (2016) splinters and members of Bareunmirae Party discussions. High-profile disputes involved clashes with leaders from the Minjoo Party of Korea and realignments by MPs from North Chungcheong Province and Daejeon. Attempts at electoral cooperation with centrist and conservative defectors produced short-term alliances but also accelerated splits when debated over presidential strategy during the 2017 election cycle.
The party's influence peaked during the 2016–2017 political crisis, contributing to the impeachment process against Park Geun-hye and shaping discourse on anti-corruption and regional representation. Internal factionalism, strategic disagreements over presidential endorsements, and negotiations with rivals like Ahn Cheol-soo's later merger partners culminated in a 2018 merger that dissolved the party into a broader centrist formation. Its legacy persisted in debates on electoral reform, the role of centrist third parties in South Korean politics, and the careers of figures who moved between National Assembly factions, regional government posts, and civil society organizations such as Korean Bar Association-linked reform groups.
Category:Political parties in South Korea Category:Centrist parties Category:Political parties established in 2016 Category:Defunct political parties in South Korea