2026 National Election

The two years since the last snap elections have been dramatic for all parties. Major issues on this ticket include the continued existence of the Northern prison camps, the relationship between Seoul and the North, Korean policy towards China, the detention of Koreans within China/Chinese people within Korea, and more.

The incumbent Premier Moon Jae-in will once again lead the Democratic Party into the polls. This term has been troublesome for Jae-in, who has lost much Southern support for his pro-Northern policies, and his failed gamble with China has further reduced his popularity. Jae-in will attempt to salvage what he can from this election, but expectations are low. The same goes for the other two parties - Kang Byung-won with the New Democratic Party and Yeo Yeong-gug with the Justice Party. Both alternatives gained popularity for being left-wing alternatives to what was viewed as a "Northern sympathetic" Democratic Party, but while in government neither has actually opposed the Democratic Party's pro-Northern policies - with the NDP and JP voting unanimously in favor of the Northern Economic Opportunity Act. Both are expecting a massive reduction in vote turnout for this.

Among the right-wing parties, Lee Jun-seok and the People Power Party, as well as Ahn Cheol-soo and the People Party are both expecting a reduction in the vote. Both parties opted to side with the centre-left coalition in government, and now they are suffering the consequences of that decision - a fact which the opposition took ample time to hammer in on. The government has had an especially rough period, marked by turmoil and scandal, and the PPP/PP's standing is not improved by the fact that they were the deciding factor in getting the government into power.

The far-right Liberty Korea Party, under the leadership of Park Wan-su, has largely been pushed out of their niche by Yi Kwon and the Grand National Restoration Party. The LKP is still standing for election, but is expected to remain a fringe element within the Union Council. Meanwhile, the GNRP and Yi Kwon are the clear favorites to win re-election. Publicly, they are the main face of opposition to the centre-left government's policies. Yi Kwon has set himself up as the pragmatic, nationalist, unionist, and democratic choice. Privately, the Shilla Pact has brought the chaebols to support the GNRP financially, and the KINA's standing policy is of promotion of the GNRP. These private factors, in addition to their public support, make them dominant.

The last party is the Workers' Party of Korea, still under General Secretary Choe Ryong-hae s leadership. The WPK still has virtually no experience in winning electorally, with their success only coming at the hands of their tight grip on the levers of power in the Northern provinces. However, this grip is loosening - both naturally, and due to conscious efforts by KINA to liberalize Northern provinces. With the recent assassination of Kim Jong-un, the WPK is reeling - there is no successor to him in the cult of personality, with the current Supreme Leader being an adolescent girl who is merely a figurehead with a very shaky base of support. The WPK's powerbase will continue to be chipped at, and they are anticipated to suffer electorally.