South Korea’s four new minor parties merged this week, spearheaded by high-profile former leaders of ruling and opposition parties, creating a unique alliance that could break a vicious cycle of elections that focus on mudslinging, experts told Korea Pro.

Experts generally assessed the launch of the New Reform Party (NRP) positively, interpreting it as a possible avenue for a new era of post-ideological political coalition capable of challenging the dominance of both major parties.  

However, some critics, including from the two major parties, have derided the merger as a haphazard “hodge podge” assembled solely for electoral gain