One Year of Battle Over the Election System, Bipartisan Party Structure Rather Strengthened

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] The candidates for the 21st general election will be finalized on the 26th and 27th. Although the political sphere engaged in fierce battles over electoral system reform for more than a year, the result has ironically strengthened the two-party system of the Democratic Party of Korea and the United Future Party.

The National Election Commission announced on the 26th that candidate registration will be accepted at the respective election district election commissions from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the 26th and 27th. In this election, where the semi-proportional representation system is being implemented for the first time, parties nominating proportional representation candidates must submit materials such as meeting minutes proving that they followed democratic screening and voting procedures.

However, the purpose of the semi-proportional representation system?to guarantee party seats proportional to support and to secure diversity through the expansion of minor parties?has been undermined. The creation of the satellite party Mirae Korea Party by the United Future Party disrupted the system, and the Democratic Party maintained its vested interests by forming the Together Citizens Party mainly with new parties instead of existing minor parties like the Justice Party and the Green Party. Among the proportional candidates of the Citizens Party, only former Basic Income Party leader Yong Hye-in and former co-leader of the Transition Korea Party Jo Jeong-hoon plan to return to their original parties after the election. Most recruited candidates are expected to join the Democratic Party if elected.

The ruling and opposition parties agreed on electoral reform at the end of 2018, deciding to discuss the semi-proportional representation system and the expansion of proportional seats. Despite several intense physical confrontations over the fast-track (rapid processing bill), the number of proportional seats remains the same at 47. Of these, 30 seats are capped under the semi-proportional system to prevent parties with many district winners from receiving additional seats, but under the current structure, satellite parties like the Citizens Party and Mirae Korea Party are expected to dominate.

Minor parties such as the Green Party and the Future Party, which failed to form alliances, are fielding their own candidates, but overcoming the reality seems difficult. Ultimately, only the Basic Income Party and the Transition Korea Party are likely to secure one proportional seat each in the National Assembly.

Meanwhile, the Justice Party, the senior minor party, is experiencing a decline in support. The People's Party led by Ahn Cheol-soo is unlikely to recreate the momentum it had four years ago. Recent polls show that the voting intention for the Citizens Party and former lawmaker Jeong Bong-ju's Open Democratic Party is around 40%, while Mirae Korea Party stands at about 30%. Combined, the two major party groups account for about 70%.

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