SEOUL– Lee Jeong-mi, a former chief of the minor progressive Justice Party (JP), was elected Friday for a second term to lead a major reform of the party reeling from recent election routs.

The former lawmaker and labor activist won 63.05 percent of the vote in the runoff, against former deputy party chair Kim Yun-ki’s 36.95 percent, according to the party.

The 56-year-old Lee previously served in the party’s top job from 2017 to 2019.

“I will devote all I have to preventing the Yoon Suk-yeol government’s massive regression,” Lee said in her acceptance speech.

The JP, which prioritizes progressive agenda from labor rights to gender equality and social welfare, suffered a crushing defeat in June’s local elections, failing to win any local administrative posts.

The party adopted a resolution last month pledging a massive reform to win over voters, including renaming and recreating the party by 2023.

Source: Yonhap News Agency