Rep. Chun Ha-ram, acting leader and floor leader of the Reform Party, speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul on Monday. (Yonhap) Rep. Chun Ha-ram, acting leader and floor leader of the minor conservative Reform Party, dismissed speculation Monday that the party was considering merging with either of South Korea's two major political parties."There is no one in the Reform Party who is pursuing a merger," Chun said during a press conference at the National Assembly, referring to the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the main opposition People Power Party.Chun pledged that the Reform Party would maintain its independent course, describing it as the only third-party force currently represented in the National Assembly and a symbol of political reform."We will continue our path of standing on our own rather than making an unjust compromise with the establishment," he said.His remarks came amid growing speculation over the party's future following its poor performance in the June 3 local elections and parliamentary by-elections, and the resignation of its founder, Rep. Lee Jun-seok, as party leader last week.The Reform Party fielded 187 candidates in the local elections and another five in parliamentary by-elections held the same day, but managed to win only one municipal council seat.Lee stepped down as party leader on Wednesday, saying he would take political responsibility for the election defeat and the party's failure to make sufficient progress on internal reforms afterward.Lee founded the Reform Party in January 2024 after leaving the then-ruling People Power Party in December 2023 following years of friction with figures aligned with then-President Yoon Suk Yeol. Lee had previously served as the conservative party's youngest-ever leader and helped Yoon win the 2022 presidential election.Lee's resignation as Reform Party leader fueled speculation that the party could eventually merge with one of the two major parties.Lee rejected such speculation in a Facebook post Sunday, saying he had never discussed joining the Democratic Party or merging the Reform Party with it. He also said he planned to take legal action against commentators who spread such claims.Chun likewise said Monday that Lee's resignation was not a step toward a merger, but was intended to give the party a "shock" following its election defeat.He also rejected reports that Lee had stepped down because of internal conflict over the party's strategy for the 2028 general election."There was no conflict," Chun said, referring to reports of a disagreement over Lee's idea of concentrating key party figures in constituencies in southern Gyeonggi Province. He said the proposal had remained at the level of an idea and had not developed into a formal reform plan.Chun said the party would now proceed with a convention to elect new leadership.He said the new leadership would be tasked with restoring stability to the party, carrying out reforms and laying the strategic groundwork for the 2028 parliamentary elections.The Reform Party currently holds three seats in the 300-member National Assembly.