[Reporter’s Notebook] Will Expanding the Medium-Sized Electoral District System Revive Political Diversity?

"Local councilors? I don't even recognize any faces, let alone any names."

It has been 31 years since the introduction of the local autonomy system following the first nationwide simultaneous local elections in 1995. Although a generation has passed, the local autonomy system—often called "grassroots democracy"—has yet to take firm root. Some even criticize it as a closed league where only a select few fight over vested interests, disconnected from the public. The clearest example of the crisis in local politics is the phenomenon of "uncontested election victories."

In the most recent local elections, 490 candidates were elected without a single vote being cast. These candidates were chosen without campaign flyers or posters, completely outside the attention of voters. This issue was frequent even in Seoul: two city council members, 109 district council members, and 10 proportional representatives at the basic level were elected uncontested.

The main reason for the widespread occurrence of uncontested victories is that local elections are often conducted through collusion between political parties. In districts where two candidates are elected, the ruling and opposition parties each nominate one candidate, effectively ensuring uncontested wins. As public indifference toward local politics grows, even minor parties and independent candidates are disappearing from the race.

Candidates only pay attention to the district's National Assembly member or the local party committee chair, who can influence nominations. Allegations of bribery and other scandals over party nominations in local elections are also intertwined with this structure. The overwhelming influence of political parties in local politics has further undermined its self-sustainability. This "polarization" phenomenon is seen not only in the Honam and Yeongnam regions but also in metropolitan elections. With "blind voting," parties become the sole criterion for voters, making healthy mechanisms such as internal checks and oversight within local councils difficult to expect.

Given this reality, the Public Official Election Act passed by the National Assembly on April 18 carries significance as a "reform." Although limited, the act introduces a medium-sized electoral district system in four districts of the newly integrated Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City (Gwangju Special City) and increases the proportion of proportional representatives in regional assemblies by 4 percentage points to 14%. At the basic council level, the medium-sized electoral district system will now be applied in 27 districts—an increase from 11 districts previously, with 16 more added.

Those advocating for more fundamental political reform may still see this as an incomplete change, merely taking on the appearance of reform. However, it is important not to overlook that without even these efforts at change, it would be difficult to foster the self-sustainability of grassroots democracy. These latest changes should become a starting point for continued reform measures to seek new paths for local politics in this era of regional decline.

Proponents of healthy local politics emphasize that regional politics should become self-sustaining and not rely on central politics. The key is political diversity. Perhaps grassroots democracy will truly come alive only when a culture that listens to different perspectives and new voices is firmly established.

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