South Korea’s parliamentary elections, set for April 2024, present a unique political conundrum. A new, potentially disruptive factor emerges amid a backdrop of leadership challenges within the country’s major political parties: former People Power Party (PPP) leader Lee Jun-seok.

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) continues to grapple with Lee Jae-myung’s contentious leadership. His tenure, marred by scandals during and since his unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2022, continues to cast a shadow over his role as party leader.