Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok. [Yonhap]
Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok. [Yonhap]

Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok is expected to step down Wednesday, taking political responsibility for the party's poor performance in the June 3 local elections and the fallout from what has been called the Jeong I-han staged-attack scandal.

Lee is set to hold a press conference at the National Assembly Wednesday morning to announce his resignation.

The Reform Party fielded numerous candidates in the local elections, including bids for regional and district government head posts, but secured only a single ward council seat. The party's standing was further weakened when Jeong I-han, who had run for Busan mayor, was indicted and detained on charges of staging a fake assault on himself.

Political sources said Lee decided to resign after internal reform efforts stalled. On Aug. 10, he met reporters following a supreme council meeting and said the party was making progress on internal systems, including an AI-based party management platform developed in-house, adding that he planned to expand such initiatives going forward.

Lee had been scheduled to meet Democratic Party of Korea's newly elected party leader Kim Min-seok on Monday but canceled the appointment that day, citing internal party matters.


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