The minor opposition Reform Party is poised to vote on the removal of its leader, Heo Eun-A, amid growing challenges to her leadership following a clash with the party's founder, who is widely seen as its top contender for the upcoming presidential election.
The Reform Party announced Wednesday during a senior meeting convened by Floor Leader Rep. Cheon Ha-ram that it has decided to hold a vote of all party members on Friday and Saturday as to whether Heo will remain the party leader.
“It’s time for Heo to reflect on how the situation escalated to this point,” Cheon said in a press briefing held after the senior meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Wednesday morning.
The Reform Party was founded in January 2024 by Rep. Lee Jun-seok, the former leader of the ruling People Power Party, with the aim of appealing to conservative voters as an alternative to the ruling party. Heo, then a lawmaker with the People Power Party, left to join Lee, giving up her proportional representation seat in the National Assembly.
The Reform Party, however, did not include Heo on the proportional representation list for the April 2024 general election, preventing her from returning to the Assembly.
Heo instead succeeded Lee as party leader later that year but fell under criticism for prioritizing her personal profile over advancing the party’s collective goals.
In addition, tensions between Heo and Lee escalated after Heo dismissed several senior party members believed to be aligned with Lee last month, claiming that Lee was attempting to exert complete control over the party.
Heo has been suspended from her post since the party’s emergency senior committee decided to dismiss her Tuesday in a meeting where Cheon announced that he would serve as the party's interim leader.
According to the Reform Party, the vote on Heo's leadership will be conducted online through the National Election Commission’s K-voting system, with the results to be announced at an emergency senior committee meeting Sunday morning.
The Reform Party stated that it requested Heo to submit a written statement explaining her position regarding the vote.
In response, Heo held her own meeting with senior party members on the same day, claiming that Cheon is illegitimately acting as the party’s interim leader. In a statement released to the press, she rejected the party’s decision, arguing that the vote is not legitimate under the party's constitution and regulations.
Heo added that she plans to seek legal proceedings against the party’s decision to hold a vote for her dismissal.
The Reform Party holds three seats in the 300-member National Assembly, represented by Lee, Cheon and Rep. Lee Ju-young. Except for its party founder, the latter two having secured their positions through proportional representation during the 2024 general election.
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