Democratic Party (South Korea, 2014)

The Democratic Party (더불어민주당, Deobureo Minjoo-dang) of South Korea, as referenced by "2014," refers to the main center-left political party in South Korea during that year. It existed under several different names and through mergers prior to and following 2014, but the specific name "Democratic Party" at that time represents a crucial period of realignment and development for the party.

In 2014, the party was primarily known as the New Politics Democratic Alliance (새정치민주연합, Saejeongchi Minju Yeonhaap). This name resulted from a merger in March 2014 between the Democratic Party (민주당, Minju-dang) and the New Politics Vision Party (새정치연합, Saejeongchi Yeonhaap), a newly formed party led by independent politician Ahn Cheol-soo. The aim of the merger was to create a stronger opposition force against the then-ruling Saenuri Party (now People Power Party).

Key political figures associated with the party in 2014 included Kim Han-gil and Ahn Cheol-soo, who served as joint leaders after the merger. The party advocated for progressive policies, including greater social welfare, economic equality, and improved inter-Korean relations.

The period around 2014 was marked by internal struggles and ideological disagreements within the New Politics Democratic Alliance. This eventually led to significant changes in leadership and direction, including Ahn Cheol-soo's departure in 2016. Following his departure and subsequent changes, the party rebranded as the Democratic Party of Korea (더불어민주당, Deobureo Minjoo-dang) – the name it largely retains to this day. Therefore, while the name "Democratic Party" existed in 2014, it was technically part of the New Politics Democratic Alliance during that period. It later evolved into the modern Democratic Party of Korea.