Image: Rebuilding Korea Party advertisement featuring Cho Kuk. Credit: Rebuilding Korea Party.
The belle of the ball for the 2024 General Election 총선 was the Rebuilding Korea Party 조국혁신당, a newly launched party led by former Justice Minister Cho Kuk 조국 전 법무부장관 which won 12 seats, making it the third largest party in the legislature. The General Election results reflect a subtle schism between the RKP and the main liberal opposition, the Democratic Party 민주당.
Voting patterns for the proportional representation portion of the General Election suggest that RKP supporters were wealthier, better educated, and more strongly liberal than Democratic voters. In Seoul, the RKP gained more votes than the DP in affluent neighborhoods in the Gangnam-gu 강남구 and Yangcheon-gu 양천구 districts. The RKP also outgained the DP in the administrative city of Sejong 세종, where government officials live.
The RKP also outperformed in Gwangju 광주 and Jeolla-do Provinces 전라도, both traditional liberal strongholds. Because the RKP did not run any candidates in district-based races, voters in the southwestern provinces often split their votes, supporting Democratic candidates in their districts while voting for the RKP on the proportional representation slate.
