[Inside Chodong] The Gaps in Systematic Nominations

The nomination period of a couple of months is coming to an end. One of the characteristics of this nomination process is that both the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party emphasized ‘systematic nomination.’ Instead of relying on imaginary creatures like oracles (神託) or Haechi, our political circles put forward the standard of ‘system’ to express their intention to conduct fair nominations that are not influenced by personal interests. The system was designed so that decisions would be made according to formulas and calculation methods, and respected elders were invited to serve as the chairpersons of the nomination management committees. This was done because it was believed that the public would respect and support the nomination results.

How successful was this systematic nomination?

As the nomination proceeded according to the prepared system, discord erupted within the Democratic Party. Representative Park Yong-jin, who was highly regarded for his unparalleled performance in parliamentary activities, publicly revealed that he had received a low evaluation. News of Park’s low evaluation cast doubt on the proper functioning of the system. Subsequently, other lawmakers unusually disclosed that they too had received low evaluations. The background that allowed them to confidently come forward was distrust in the system. Their persistent suspicion was whether they were denied nomination because they were non-Legacy Lee Jae-myung (비명). Instead of respect for differing opinions or broad understanding of parliamentary activities, it seemed that evaluations were based on how vocally hardline their stances were. However, the day after the announcement of the primary results, in which many incumbent lawmakers were eliminated, Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party leader, praised the system, saying, "The Democratic Party has proven through the primary that the party belongs to its members and the people are the owners of the party."

The People Power Party, which started systematic nominations belatedly, seemed to proceed smoothly. Although many incumbents were nominated, resulting in little excitement, the process was also described as quiet. However, the situation worsened over time. Senior lawmakers who were supposed to be replaced repeatedly survived despite the pressure of the systematic nomination. The reason the People Power Party had fewer nomination controversies was less a victory of the system and more a victory of the nomination committee’s ability to mediate. Due to redistricting and other factors, there were virtually no cutoffs. It was also notable when Jang Dong-hyuk, Secretary-General of the People Power Party, said, "If nominations were to be done mechanically or by calculator, the nomination committee would be unnecessary." Those who questioned the system were pushed to the edge, told they did not even deserve ‘redistricting.’

After a couple of months of systematic nominations, the ‘system,’ which should have been an object of reverence, lost its luster. It became clear that the system can be disrupted, distorted, or come to a halt. This raised doubts about whether it demonstrated genuine innovation or whether the direction of reform was even realized. Instead, something was lost amid the cries for systematic nomination: respect for human beings.

Byun Jae-il, a Democratic Party lawmaker who served five consecutive terms from the 17th to the 21st National Assembly, expressed his intention to accept the party’s decision a few days after being cut off from the party’s candidate primary, so-called cutoff. At that time, he said, "The decision was made to exclude me from the nomination. There was no reasonable explanation or polite request. I never imagined that the result of my 20 years of dedication and protecting the party’s victory would be so hollow." He expressed painful feelings. Although he said he would run with all his might if given the chance, he did not want to be greedy. He could not accept being notified of the ‘end’ through a briefing without any prior indication.

Politics and nominations are ultimately human affairs. I think a time may come when nominations will be entrusted to artificial intelligence (AI), big data, or other systems instead of humans. But there is one thing that must never be overlooked in any case: recognizing the limitations of the system.

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