Election District Delays and COVID-19 Crisis... Newcomers Are Crying

Direct Hit from Suspension of Face-to-Face Campaigning Delays Electoral District Redistricting
Election Environment Favoring Incumbents with High Recognition
"Reduced Opportunity to Verify Political Qualifications, Risk of Turning into Popularity Contest"

It was reported that a COVID-19 confirmed case attended an event of the United Future Party, leading to the closure of all National Assembly buildings, including the main building, for the first time in the history of the legislature on the 25th. On the 25th, the red light on the barrier at the entrance gate in front of the National Assembly showed the current state of the Assembly. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] Political newcomers are growing anxious as the spotlight on the April 15 general election has dimmed due to the major unforeseen variable of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). On top of this, the failure to finalize the electoral district delineation even about 40 days before the election is creating an increasingly favorable election environment for incumbent lawmakers with higher name recognition.

As face-to-face campaigning has been blocked, candidates from both ruling and opposition parties have turned to social media promotions on platforms like YouTube and Facebook. However, in a general election where votes must be won from local constituency voters rather than nationwide, there is a shared understanding that this type of campaigning targeting an unspecified mass audience has clear limitations. Political newcomers, even when reluctantly creating channels, find no viewers. Moreover, attention is focused only on candidates with high name recognition, resulting in a "rich get richer, poor get poorer" phenomenon.

The anxiety is even greater for political newcomers facing upcoming party primaries. The current situation, where promotional avenues are blocked and they cannot make themselves known, could also affect nominations. A prospective candidate from the United Future Party, who will participate in the primaries on the 28th and 29th, sent a text message urging voting, saying, "The current situation, where active campaigning is impossible, is extremely disadvantageous for political newcomers. I am doing one-person campaigns and Facebook Live broadcasts to raise awareness, but it is frustrating."

The ongoing postponement of electoral district delineation is also increasing frustration. Although both ruling and opposition parties have received delineation criteria from the Electoral District Delineation Committee, they have yet to reach a conclusion even by the 26th, when the overseas voter registration begins. This is causing disruptions in the preparation of voter lists by district, and prospective candidates in areas where consolidation or division of districts is possible are experiencing confusion in their campaigning.

Prospective candidates in districts where adjustments are being considered complain that it is practically impossible to devise election strategies. One candidate said, "We are running the election not knowing whether our district will be merged entirely with a neighboring district or if some neighborhoods will be combined," adding, "The longer the delay, the more some areas will have to hold elections without even having made their names known."

Conversely, candidates may waste efforts campaigning outside their own districts. Voters, unaware of who will be running in their district, are more likely to vote based on party preference or name recognition rather than the candidates themselves. A political insider said, "The longer this situation continues, the fewer opportunities there will be to verify political qualifications, and the election will degenerate into a popularity contest," adding, "There is also concern that campaigning will deteriorate as candidates focus on provocative messages rather than policy competition to attract attention."

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