As South Korea gears up for its parliamentary elections on April 10, the political scene is marked by an increase in new parties and ongoing debates about the electoral system, potentially impacting the country’s internal governance and its role in global affairs.

For instance, former ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Lee Jun-seok and former main opposition Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker Yang Hyang-ja agreed to merge their respective parties. Then, in mid-January, a group of DP lawmakers and mayors defected from the party to join a new party that former DP leader Lee Nak-yon announced he would launch ahead of the general elections.