Minor opposition Bareun Mirae Party elects political heavyweight Sohn Hak-kyu as chair

South Korea's third largest political party has elected a former four-term lawmaker as its new leader.In his acceptance speech on Sunday,... Sohn Hak-kyu vowed to unify the party and do his best to disrupt the two-party system that has long dominated South Korean politics.Kim Min-ji reports. The minor opposition Bareun Mirae Party has elected political veteran Sohn Hak-kyu as its new chair.At the party's national convention on Sunday,... Sohn won a six-way race,... getting a combined 27 percent of the vote.The former leadership had resigned after the party's defeat in the June local elections -- in which it won no mayor or governor posts. Sohn -- a former four-term lawmaker who also served as the chair of the now-ruling Democratic Party of Korea back in 2010 when it was the main opposition -- will take the helm for the next two years. "Let's work together to put the Bareun Mirae Party at the forefront of these efforts to give people hope and to help the country overcome its difficulties." The new leader vowed first and foremost to bring about unity within the party.The Bareun Mirae Party was launched through a merger of a center-right and a center-left party -- which caused friction among some members due to regionalism and ideology. Sohn also promised to do everything possible to revamp the country's electoral system so that more diverse voices can be reflected in parliament... and so that it's not controlled only by the two biggest parties, as it is now. "I will get rid of the imperialistic presidential system, which has caused people to suffer. And I will get rid of the two-party system that's built into our legislature. The Bareun Mirae Party will spearhead political reform as we bring together reform-minded conservatives and future-oriented progressives." The new chair will also be tasked with solidifying the party's identity.It's been criticized for failing to differentiate itself from either of the two bigger ones,... and so it hasn't been able to stand out as an alternative. On top of that, the new leader will have to boost the party's single-digit approval rating,... and attempt to lead the party to victory at the 2020 general elections.Kim Min-ji, Arirang News.