Increasing 50 Proportional Seats?..."Proportional Representation Acting Like District Representatives" Is the Reality

Speaker of the National Assembly Kim Jin-pyo submitted a proposal to the Political Reform Special Committee (Jeonggae Special Committee) to increase the number of proportional representation seats by 50. Although this measure aims to enhance proportionality, representation, and regional representation, it remains uncertain whether it can overcome the public's backlash. There is also an open discrimination between district representatives and proportional representatives within the political sphere. In the ruling party, a member who pledged to abolish proportional representation even ran as a candidate for party leader.

On the 23rd, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo posted on his social media (SNS), "I heard that the Speaker of the National Assembly proposed to expand the number of proportional representation seats by 50. This is a truly absurd proposal," and criticized, "Does having more members of the National Assembly reduce political strife? Is the country in this state because there are too few members of the National Assembly?"

On the 30th, at the launch ceremony of the bipartisan political reform lawmakers' group held at the National Assembly, Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, People Power Party Emergency Committee Chairman Jeong Jin-seok, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, and other lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties are taking a commemorative photo. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Mayor Hong's remarks came in response to the recent submission of three advisory opinions on electoral system reform by the 'Constitutional Amendment and Political System Improvement Advisory Committee' under the Speaker of the National Assembly to the Jeonggae Special Committee, a parliamentary body discussing electoral reform. Although the three proposals differ, all focus on increasing the number of proportional representation seats. In particular, proposals 1 and 2 include increasing the number of proportional representatives by 50. While these proposals are not guaranteed to pass as is, the Jeonggae Special Committee's emphasis on 'proportionality and representation' suggests they will have considerable influence.

The problem lies in the public's backlash against increasing the number of seats. According to a survey conducted by the Jeonggae Special Committee through an external agency from the 27th to the 30th of last month, targeting 1,200 citizens nationwide aged 18 and over, 57.7% opposed expanding the number of National Assembly members. Mayor Hong's remarks are also based on this public sentiment.

The proportional representation system was first devised by 19th-century French socialist Consid?rant. In South Korea, it was first introduced in the 6th general election (1963), but was used more to bolster the power of major parties rather than to ensure proportionality. Proportionality was effectively strengthened after democratization, starting from the 15th election, when proportional seats were allocated according to each party's vote share.

However, even after more than 20 years, proportional representatives are still treated as a 'lower-tier substitute' compared to district representatives within parties. In fact, Kim Yong-tae, a Supreme Council member candidate with no incumbent experience, criticized proportional representative Jo Su-jin of the People Power Party on SNS, saying, "It is an eyesore when proportional representatives act as if they are district representatives." This highlights the reality that even if one obtains a seat through proportional representation, they must eventually run in a district to be re-elected or serve multiple terms, resulting in proportional representatives being regarded as 'half-term' members.

Every general election, the justification that proportional representatives represent occupational groups and social classes has faded, and the system has been used more for 'reviving defeated candidates' or 'placing one's people,' leading to arguments about the 'uselessness of proportional representation.' Jo Kyung-tae, a People Power Party member who ran for party leader, even proposed 'abolishing proportional representation' as a political reform measure.

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