Leader Lee Jung-hee Founded January 2000 (2000-01) | Assembly leader Gang Gi-Gap Dissolved 5 December 2011 | |
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Merged into Unified Progressive Party Headquarters Jongdo Building, 25-1 Mullaedong2-ga, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul | ||
The Democratic Labor Party (DLP) was a left-wing nationalist political party in South Korea. It was founded in January 2000, in the effort to create a political wing for the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and was considered more left-wing and more independent of the two union federations in South Korea. Its party president was Lee Jung-hee and its assembly leader Kang Gi-gap, who is twice-elected congressman. In December 2011, the party merged into the Unified Progressive Party.
History
The party gained 10 seats in the National Assembly for the first time in the 2004 parliamentary election, made it became the first major left-wing party to enter the Assembly.
Before and during the 2007 presidential election, conflicts arose between the two main factions within the party. While the "equality" faction, represented by the People's Democracy group, stressed social welfare and civil liberties, the "autonomy" faction, represented by the National Liberation group, and emphasized anti-Americanism.
After the 2007 presidential election, the People's Democracy faction quit the party and formed the New Progressive Party (NPP). Despite the split, DLP gained 5 seats in the National Assembly in the 2008 election, but NPP gained none. In the 2009 election, NPP got one seat. On 5 December 2011, the party merged with the People's Participation Party and a faction of the NPP to found the Unified Progressive Party.