Limiting National Assembly Members to Four Consecutive Terms... Accompanying Controversies and Concerns

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] Yoon Geon-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is proposing an amendment to the Public Official Election Act that prohibits members of the National Assembly from serving four consecutive terms. However, controversy is expected to follow regarding whether it is appropriate to artificially limit the re-election of National Assembly members through legislation.

According to Yoon's office on the 7th, the amendment stipulates that a person who has been elected consecutively three times, combining both constituency and proportional representation National Assembly member elections, cannot register as a candidate for the National Assembly. The purpose is to show that lawmakers themselves should relinquish vested interests in a situation where politics does not gain the trust of the people. However, considering the opposition from incumbent multi-term lawmakers, the amendment includes an exception clause that treats current lawmakers at the time of enforcement as having been elected once.

In a joint proposal request sent to lawmakers, Yoon pointed out, "Although the authority of National Assembly members is not insignificant, unlike local government heads who have a limit on serving more than three terms, there is no limit on the re-election of National Assembly members, which is a matter of fairness." He added, "The more terms a lawmaker serves, the stronger their authority becomes, such as holding key party positions, which continuously creates advantageous situations in internal party nominations. Expanding the entry of first- and second-term lawmakers into the National Assembly can solidify the substance of a 'working National Assembly.'"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

It is known that some first-term lawmakers from the United Future Party have also expressed their intention to sign this bill, which Yoon named the 'National Assembly Member Trust Restoration Act.'

However, there may be some controversy over whether artificial replacement of National Assembly members through legislation is appropriate. Unlike local government heads, who are single-administrator institutions entrusted with authority over one administrative office, National Assembly members are members of a deliberative body called the National Assembly, so imposing the same term limits as local government heads is considered excessive. It is preferable that the replacement of National Assembly members be conducted through the autonomous judgment of political parties and the decision-making process based on the people's vote, rather than by artificial means.

Also, among OECD countries, none have regulations limiting the re-election of National Assembly members. However, the Philippines is known to limit re-election to three terms.

In fact, during the 20th National Assembly, Lee Yong-joo of the People's Party proposed a similar 'Three-Term Limit for National Assembly Members' bill, which was discussed in the National Assembly's Administrative and Security Committee and the Special Committee on Political Reform, but due to such controversies, it was eventually quietly discarded upon expiration of the term.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

There are also views that the bill is unlikely to pass the National Assembly. It is a sensitive issue that affects the 'livelihood' of senior multi-term lawmakers, making it difficult to reach consensus within parties. In fact, within the United Future Party, there was a suggestion to include the same content in the party's platform, but some senior lawmakers reportedly voiced opposition.

Chairman Kim, after a meeting of the emergency committee the previous day, told reporters regarding the four-term re-election ban clause, "I think some lawmakers have shown interest in discussing it, but I believe that term limits for lawmakers should not be included in the party platform," drawing a clear line.

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