Major Constituency System Sparks Sharp Divide Between Ruling and Opposition... Democratic Party Contemplates 'Forceful Passage' Card

Democratic Party "Aiming to Pass Within March for Multi-Party System"
People Power Party "A Trick to Protect Established Interests"

[Asia Economy Reporters Koo Chae-eun, Lee Hyun-joo] The Democratic Party of Korea is considering the “single-handed passage” card for the Public Official Election Act, which centers on the introduction of a “multi-member district system with three or more basic councilors.” As discussions on the electoral district system have not progressed ahead of the local elections, it appears they have judged that it is time to make a decision. The Political Reform Special Committee (Jeonggae Teukwi) consists of nine Democratic Party members including Chairman Kim Tae-nyeon, and one member from the Justice Party also supports the introduction of multi-member districts with three or more basic councilors, so even if the People Power Party (8 members) opposes it, a vote passage is possible.

Kim Young-bae, the Democratic Party’s Political Reform Special Committee secretary, said on the 24th on the radio, “We will discuss whether to put it on the agenda at today’s plenary meeting and pass it directly or send it back to the subcommittee,” adding, “We are premising that it will definitely be processed in the March National Assembly.”

Previously, the Democratic Party emphasized political change during the presidential election and pledged various electoral system improvements to guarantee a multi-party system. The introduction of a multi-member district system with three or more basic councilors, setting the minimum number of basic councilors to three or more to prevent the monopoly of the two major parties, is the first promise. Within the party, although they lost the presidential election, there is a strong voice that the political change pledge should be fulfilled as a matter of “giving up vested interests.”

However, there is concern that pushing through a single-handed passage could provoke political backlash. The election law, which is the “rule of the game,” has traditionally been passed by bipartisan agreement, and if a contentious bill is passed unilaterally, it could fall into the “tyranny of the majority” frame.

The People Power Party has not softened its opposition from procedure to content. Kim Ki-hyun, the floor leader, criticized at the party meeting that “bringing out the bill just two months before the local elections is a trick to keep the Democratic Party’s second faction and local council vested interests after losing the presidential election,” and said, “Passing this bill is being criticized as an unreasonable tantrum to secure positions for Democratic Party-affiliated personnel.” Cho Hae-jin, the People Power Party’s Political Reform Special Committee secretary, also said on the radio, “Basic councils are places for grassroots politics, so transferring the ‘multi-party’ political conflict structure there is not reform but could be a deterioration.”

A Democratic Party member of the Political Reform Special Committee said in a phone interview, “The mainstream view is that it is necessary to strengthen the wavering leadership of Yoon Ho-jung and to implement the ‘responsible politics’ promised before the presidential election, but the tradition that election laws should be passed by bipartisan agreement is a point of concern.”

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