[Choi Jun-young's Urban Pilgrimage] Elections and Cities

The flower of democracy is elections. Elections have also been a symbol of cities. Since medieval Europe, cities had the autonomy and authority to elect their own representatives. The city's rights to impose taxes independently and establish regulations became factors that made cities free and diverse spaces. Various occupations within the city demanded their rights based on occupational organizations, which later expanded through guilds, various associations, and political representation such as proportional representation.

After the Industrial Revolution, factories established in cities concentrated large populations. Dissatisfaction with poor working conditions led factory workers to confront capital with organized power, which became the driving force for their representatives to enter the legislature. In this process, electoral districts, which were previously designed to suit the tastes of hereditary rural aristocrats, were gradually reorganized through workers' demands and struggles, and cities gradually transformed into regions that brought political change to a nation. This phenomenon spread from Europe and the United States to the rest of the world. The growth of cities changed the power structure of society because the fundamental power of cities, 'population,' also influences politics.

Large-scale development projects
promote outflow of existing members
and inflow from outside,
acting as factors of political change

The results of the 21st National Assembly election held on April 15 can also be interpreted in various ways from this perspective. It can be summarized as an overwhelming victory for the ruling party, with the most notable feature being the ruling party's dominance centered on Seoul and the metropolitan area. This clearly shows that Seoul and the metropolitan area, which were long perceived as subordinate concepts to regions like Yeongnam and Honam, have emerged as separate political domains. Despite population growth in cities and population decline in rural areas, the overrepresentation of rural areas, which had been maintained for a long time, was resolved following the Constitutional Court's continuous rulings to reduce population disparities in electoral districts, allowing the metropolitan area to grow into a more important power base. Looking regionally, the political significance of large cities, including metropolitan cities, is increasing, while the political weight of rural areas is rapidly shrinking.

Examining the election outcomes in the metropolitan area reveals the connected range centered on Seoul. While most elected officials in Seoul and adjacent areas belong to the ruling party, opposition parties have won seats in the outer regions of Gyeonggi Province. This regional differentiation reflects the degree of regional interaction centered on Seoul. Although residents live in the metropolitan area, if their workplace is located in Seoul, the election results show a high probability that they follow the political tendencies of the area where their workplace is located, where they spend most of their day. The metropolitan area has become more metropolitanized along transportation networks, strengthening its tendencies as a single group, as indicated by the election results. This trend is expected to strengthen further in the late 2020s when projects like GTX and the Shinansan Line are completed. The increasing population and homogenizing spatial structure indicate that the metropolitan area's movements will be a key factor in determining political trends in the future.

Choi Jun-young, Senior Advisor at Yulchon LLC

Internally within the city, elections serve as a tool to show changes in urban social structure. In the past, when most Seoul residents were from rural areas, the key factor in preparing for elections was the voter's original domicile (본적). Identifying how many voters came from which region was the most basic preparation. For this, not only the original domicile but also the ancestral home had to be carefully examined. However, as generations born and raised in Seoul and the metropolitan area increased, the influence of the region of origin has gradually declined. The increase in generations who consider Seoul and the metropolitan area their hometown and identity shows that Seoul and the metropolitan area can no longer be viewed as dependent variables of regions like Yeongnam and Honam as in the past, as election results demonstrate.

Various redevelopment and reconstruction projects occurring in cities also act as factors accelerating changes in urban social structure. Development projects promote the outflow of existing members and the inflow of outsiders. Once formed, the micro-level political and social structure of an area tends to be maintained, but large-scale development projects can change this structure at once and act as factors bringing political change. In particular, election results by neighborhood show that redevelopment tends to transform low-income, elderly-concentrated areas into young middle-class residential areas. Although not overtly visible due to the ruling party's landslide victory, election results analyzed by neighborhood and apartment complexes reflected the underlying changes occurring in urban social structure.

Looking at election results by neighborhood,
reflecting underlying changes
in urban social structure,
the city's appearance and composition
will change depending on the government's response
to the COVID-19 crisis

The future political structural changes are also likely to emerge through cities. Despite the national trend of population decline, the population of large cities will maintain or increase, thereby enhancing their political influence. Especially, the political influence of Seoul and the metropolitan area will expand further, and at the point when this trend becomes full-fledged, fundamental questions about the previously pursued national balanced development are expected to arise. Concerned about losing influence, local regions may strongly desire constitutional amendments, including changes to a bicameral system composed of a lower house elected by population proportion and an upper house elected equally by region.

Internally, cities will continue to undergo changes as redevelopment, reconstruction, and new town development projects proceed. The concentrated residence of generations able to purchase high-priced new homes will inevitably bring about many political changes. If the realization of property tax, which begins in earnest this year, continues, future election results may differ significantly from this time. Historically, cities have always been agents of change, and politics has been included in that target.

Revolutions, reforms, and changes have always started from the demands of cities, and changes in cities have led to changes in the nation. The change in cities is not just about new buildings and transportation networks visible to the eye but ultimately appears according to changes in the composition and awareness of the people living there. How the political sphere accepts the demands for change revealed by this election and how the government responds to the economic crisis caused by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) will change the city's appearance and composition, and the results will be revealed through the 2022 election.

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