Why South Korea’s Progressive Party is often labeled far-left by its political rivals

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Born from the ashes of a banned political group, the Progressive Party occupies a polarizing space in South Korean politics. It advocates for the dissolution of the U.S.-South Korea alliance and reconciliation with the North, sparking intense debates over national security, sovereignty, and the true meaning of progressivism.

Founded in October 2017 as the Minjung Party, the organization emerged as a successor to the Unified Progressive Party, which was dissolved by a 2014 Constitutional Court ruling for alleged anti-constitutional activities. Renamed the Progressive Party in June 2020, it maintains a platform rooted in left-wing nationalism and anti-imperialism. The party’s central objective is the restoration of South Korean sovereignty, which it defines as ending dependency on the United States, dismantling the influence of massive industrial conglomerates known as chaebols, and pursuing reunification with North Korea.

The party’s classification as far-left stems largely from its foreign policy. Unlike liberal parties that view the United States as a necessary counterweight to regional powers, the Progressive Party identifies American influence as the primary source of South Korea’s socioeconomic contradictions. This stance has led to accusations of pro-North Korean sympathies, particularly after party members met with North Korean officials in 2018 without government authorization. In 2023, the administration of President Yoon Suk-yeol launched investigations into members for allegedly receiving orders from North Korean spies, though the party maintains these actions are a crackdown on political dissent.

Despite its controversial reputation, the party promotes a range of socially progressive causes, including LGBT rights, feminism, and the rights of immigrants. It also supports aggressive economic redistribution, such as a 90% inheritance tax on estates exceeding 3 billion won. While some domestic socialists argue the party is merely liberal, its influence persists in the National Assembly. After losing all seats in 2020, the party returned in 2023 and secured three seats in the 2024 legislative election through the Democratic Alliance of Korea, proving that its brand of radical nationalism remains a persistent, if divisive, force in the national discourse.

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