Shin Jang-sik, the newly elected leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, raises his fist while holding the party flag at the national party convention at the Suwon Convention Center in Gyeonggi Province on Saturday. [Yonhap]
Shin Jang-sik, the newly elected leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, raises his fist while holding the party flag at the national party convention at the Suwon Convention Center in Gyeonggi Province on Saturday. [Yonhap]

The Rebuilding Korea Party elected lawmaker Shin Jang-sik as its new leader on Saturday. Shin vowed to "complete prosecution reform 100 percent" and said the party — founded on the cause of reining in prosecutorial power — would pursue a sharper reform identity than the Democratic Party of Korea. He added that discussions on alliance or merger with the Democratic Party remain open if the party restores the "people's sovereignty government" spirit it championed during the presidential election.

Shin ran unopposed at the 2026 national party convention held at the Suwon Convention Center in Gyeonggi Province on Saturday, winning the leadership vote with 96.7 percent approval.

It is the first time since the Rebuilding Korea Party's founding that someone other than former leader Cho Kuk has held the top post. Shin faces the task of proving the party's relevance without Cho at the helm, while also preparing for the 2028 general election. How he manages the relationship with the Democratic Party is another challenge before him.

"It has been 417 days since the people's sovereignty government took office — why has the Democratic Party hesitated and neglected reform all this time?" Shin said, reaffirming his pledge to complete prosecution reform.

Shin said he would not ease up until prosecution reform legislation passes the National Assembly floor. "I will set up a 'people's situation room for completing prosecution reform' on the steps leading to the Assembly chamber and will not leave until the bill is passed," he said.

How Shin defines the party's relationship with the Democratic Party will be a key test of his leadership. In his policy address, he signaled a reform path distinct from the Democratic Party's, saying he would "walk the road of clear-cut reform."

He said discussions on alliance or merger with the Democratic Party are open, but that there are non-negotiable principles. "The standard is the restoration of the presidential election spirit," he said, singling out the introduction of a runoff voting system, sweeping electoral reform to strengthen proportional representation, and normalization of the requirements for forming a negotiating bloc in the Assembly as the foundations for any merger.

"I firmly reject the hostile-takeover-style merger discussions pushed by some within the Democratic Party, but I welcome talks grounded in shared vision and values," Shin added.

A video message from former leader Cho Kuk was also shown at the convention. Cho failed to win a National Assembly seat after losing the by-election in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, during the June 3 local elections.

"The political landscape is tilting dangerously to the right," Cho said. "As the confusion within the ruling party over prosecution reform shows, even the principles of reform are wavering."

Cho urged the party to "build and practice a progressive futurism that looks beyond the weather of a single day to the climate of an era," and called on it to steadily strengthen its capabilities in preparation for the 2028 general election.

In the supreme council member primary, lawmaker Cha Gyu-geun and former secretary-general Hwang Hyeon-seon were elected. The new leadership will consist of five members: Shin as party leader, Kim Jun-hyeong as floor leader, Cha and Hwang as supreme council members, and one appointed supreme council member.


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