Support for Same-Sex Marriage, Housing Quotas for Female Household Heads, Dating Allowance, and More... "Please Consider Us Too" Innovative Campaign Promises

D-6, 4·7 By-Election In-Depth Analysis ⑨ Minor Candidates Declare Candidacy
9 Candidates Including Shin Ji-hye, Heo Kyung-young, Oh Tae-yang
Deposit Not Returned If Vote Share Below 10%
"Came to Highlight Human Rights Blind Spots"

Challenge by Minor Parties Is the 'Flower of Democracy'
Limitations Due to Lack of Multi-Party System Establishment

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Koo Chae-eun and Jeon Jin-young] Candidates running for Seoul mayor must pay a deposit of 50 million won. The full amount is refunded if they win or achieve a vote share of 15% or more. If the vote share is between 10% and 15%, only half is refunded, and if it is below 10%, no refund is given. Some candidates openly declare their expected vote share to be between 2% and 5%, far below 10%, yet still challenge the election. These are so-called "minor party candidates." In this election, candidates from the Basic Income Party Shin Ji-hye, National Revolutionary Party Heo Kyung-young, Future Party Oh Tae-yang, New Liberal Democratic Union Bae Young-gyu, Women's Party Kim Jin-ah, Progressive Party Song Myung-sook, and independents Jung Dong-hee, Lee Do-yeop, and Shin Ji-ye (in order of ballot number) ran. They stated that they threw their hats into the ring "to promote our party's values," "for genuine 'third zone politics,'" and "to highlight human rights blind spots overlooked by the two major parties." Experts say that as society becomes more diverse and pluralistic, such voices and challenges carry great significance.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ Minor Party Candidates with Unique Pledges= The pledges prominently presented by minor party candidates often focus on issues such as human rights, climate change, gender, and minority concerns, which the two major parties tend to overlook. Shin Ji-hye of the Basic Income Party proposed a "Seoul-type Basic Income" that would provide 250,000 won monthly to every Seoul citizen. She also promised to stock the abortion pill Mifjin at all 25 public health centers in Seoul and to introduce free sanitary pads.

Oh Tae-yang of the Future Party attracted attention with pledges centered on LGBTQ+ issues, including support for same-sex marriage, anti-discrimination measures, and full support for queer festivals. He announced plans to enact an ordinance banning hate and discriminatory expressions in Seoul and to implement a 50% quota for female employees in institutions. Kim Jin-ah of the Women's Party pledged to mandate that 50% of public housing sales by the Seoul Housing Corporation (SH) be allocated to female household heads, provide free menstrual products, and expand free cervical cancer vaccinations.

Kim Jin-ah, the Women's Party candidate for Seoul mayor, is seated at the Seoul mayoral by-election candidate debate held on the 29th at KBS in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

At the election commission's invited debate on the 30th of last month, Lee Soo-bong of the Minsheng Party made his presence known by pledging to build public rental housing on the returned Yongsan U.S. military base site and turn it into a landmark of Seoul. Song Myung-sook of the Progressive Party announced a pledge to supply public rental housing that cannot be transferred, gifted, or sold to the homeless and to introduce a "house usage right" managed by the state or local governments. Heo Kyung-young of the National Revolutionary Party drew attention by proposing a "dating public system" that would provide 200,000 won monthly dating allowances to unmarried individuals and establish a marriage department.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

◆ The ‘Challenge’ of Minor Parties... The Flower of Party Politics= Experts evaluate that the participation of minor parties holds great significance in terms of pluralizing public opinion and realizing democracy. Professor Park Sang-byeong of Inha University explained, "When Korean party politics is mired in factional fights and division, it is very meaningful for small parties to come out in elections and reveal their values." He added, "Regardless of election outcomes, they can be seen as pioneers voicing issues such as LGBTQ+ and gender matters," and assessed, "Such efforts by minor parties are the very flower of democracy, and public opinion should pay attention to them." Political commentator Lee Jong-hoon said, "As society becomes more pluralistic, it has become difficult to gather the opinions of numerous citizens, so it is significant for minor parties to reveal their own political views through elections," and noted, "This is also why major parties recruit talent through proportional representation."

However, there is also a realistic view that their candidacies alone have limited significance in the current political reality. Professor Choi Chang-ryeol of Yongin University said, "In an election where a multi-party system has not been established, there are limits to minor parties gaining momentum," and added, "For their efforts to be meaningful, a multi-party system reflecting citizen diversity must be firmly established."

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