Gwangju Lawmakers: "Metropolitan Council Seats Must Be Adjusted Before Integrated Metropolitan City Launch"

"Population gap between Gwangju and Jeonnam is 380,000, but council seats differ by a factor of 2.7"
Concerns raised over imbalance in representation


Large gap in population represented per council member:
69,000 in Gwangju vs. 32,000 in Jeonnam


Calls for the Special Committee on Political Reform to discuss redistricting and adjusting council seats

With the launch of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Metropolitan City approaching, members of the National Assembly from the Gwangju region have called for discussions on adjusting the number of metropolitan council members. They expressed concerns that if the current seat structure remains unchanged after integration, the value of Gwangju citizens' votes could be relatively diminished.

Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers from the Gwangju region held a joint press conference at the National Assembly Communication Hall on the afternoon of the 16th, issuing a joint statement urging discussions on adjusting the number of metropolitan council members to secure representation for Gwangju citizens. Democratic Party of Korea Gwangju Branch, Yonhap News

On March 16, eight Gwangju-based lawmakers, including Yang Bunam, head of the Gwangju branch of the Democratic Party of Korea, issued a joint statement at the National Assembly Communication Hall. They said, "In the process of launching the Integrated Metropolitan City, we must promptly pursue discussions on adjusting the number of metropolitan council members and redrawing electoral districts to prevent an imbalance in representation between regions."

They voiced concerns that although Gwangju and Jeonnam will launch the Integrated Metropolitan City on July 1, if the current structure for metropolitan council seats is maintained, there could be an imbalance in representation during the process of forming the new metropolitan council.

The lawmakers pointed out issues with the significant difference in the number of metropolitan council members compared to the population gap between Gwangju and Jeonnam. They stated, "Although the population difference between Gwangju and Jeonnam is about 380,000, the number of council members differs by a factor of 2.7. The population represented per council member is about 69,000 in Gwangju and about 32,000 in Jeonnam, resulting in a large disparity."

They added, "This structure raises concerns regarding the principle of equal value of each vote. The Integrated Metropolitan City should not be launched while maintaining a system in which the value of Gwangju citizens' votes is relatively lower."

They emphasized the need for reasonable improvements to the system for adjusting the number of metropolitan council members and for redrawing electoral districts before the launch of the Integrated Metropolitan City, so that the representation of Gwangju citizens is fully reflected.

They also urged the National Assembly's Special Committee on Political Reform to promptly discuss and make responsible decisions on the adjustment of metropolitan council seats and redistricting, to ensure that the representation of Gwangju citizens is not undermined prior to the launch of the Integrated Metropolitan City.

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