Justice Party Files Constitutional Appeal to Ban Youth Party Membership... Korean Party Calls It "Low-Level Politics Exploiting Youth"

Sim Sang-jung, leader of the Justice Party, and party members hold a press conference on the 8th at the National Assembly titled "Public Proposal for the Citizen Electorate for the Selection of Proportional Representation Candidates for the 21st General Election." Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] The Justice Party is set to file a constitutional complaint against the current Political Parties Act, which prohibits minors from joining political parties.

The Justice Party announced on the 8th that it plans to make this announcement in front of the Constitutional Court on the afternoon of the 9th. Representative Sim Sang-jung will personally visit to submit the petition.

Article 22 of the current Political Parties Act stipulates that only those with the right to vote in National Assembly elections have the right to join political parties, meaning that minors under the age of 19 have not been legally allowed to become party members. However, with the recent lowering of the voting age to 18, 18-year-old youths can now join political parties, but those aged 17 and under are still restricted from joining parties and engaging in political activities.

The Justice Party stated, "We want to be a party that includes youth members. There are not many countries, including Korea, where the state uniformly regulates the age criteria for party membership by law," adding, "In Finland, a prime minister in their 30s was produced, and a common feature of countries where the 20s and 30s young generation actively enter politics is that the right to participate in party activities is guaranteed from their teenage years."

They argue that the criteria for party membership should be autonomously determined by political parties as voluntary associations.

Meanwhile, Kwon Hyun-seo, youth spokesperson for the Liberty Korea Party, harshly criticized the Justice Party's admission ceremony for 18-year-old youths on the 7th as "low-level politics exploiting youth."

Spokesperson Kwon said, "Justice Party leader Sim Sang-jung, in her greeting, shed 'crocodile tears' and said, 'I hope you firmly judge the Liberty Korea Party, which has continuously suppressed youth suffrage by underestimating young people's political judgment and capabilities, through voting,'" adding, "The Justice Party revealed its dark intention to faithfully serve as the Democratic Party's second squad by exploiting 18-year-old youths, showing a typical example of low-level politics."

The Liberty Korea Party recalled that it had persistently argued to prevent the 'politicization of classrooms' through school system reforms. Spokesperson Kwon said, "Rather, the Justice Party, the Democratic Party's second squad, irresponsibly pushed through the election law without preparation and is trying to survive with cheap emotional appeals."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.