[6.3 Election] Democratic Party Selects Proportional Representation Candidates for Metropolitan and Basic Local Councils in North Jeolla

A Total of 44 Candidates Selected: 4 for Metropolitan Councils, 40 for Basic Local Councils

The Democratic Party of Korea has selected its proportional representation candidates for both metropolitan and basic local councils in the North Jeolla region ahead of the June 3 nationwide local elections. According to the North Jeolla Special Self-Governing Province Proportional Representation Candidate Recommendation Committee of the Democratic Party on April 21, a total of 44 candidates have been chosen: 4 for the metropolitan council (out of 6 seats) and 40 for the basic local councils (out of 25 seats).

For the metropolitan council proportional representation, the party confirmed two female candidates (Kang Jeonghee and Yoon Haeah) and two male candidates (Kim Dongwoo and Park Byungcheol), each representing the elderly, women, youth, people with disabilities, labor, and vocational sectors. The vote for metropolitan council proportional representation will be conducted with 100% participation from party members with voting rights, who can cast two votes—one for a female and one for a male candidate.

The North Jeolla Provincial Party Proportional Nomination Committee stated, "In the case of metropolitan council members, we not only considered the competitiveness of the candidates but also comprehensively evaluated their spirit of service for the residents of North Jeolla and their ability to faithfully embody the identity of the Democratic Party."

For the basic local councils, a variety of primary structures have formed depending on the region. In Jeonju, five candidates are competing in the primary, while in Gunsan, seven candidates are participating in a multi-candidate contest. In Iksan, Gimje, and Wanju, candidate numbers have already been confirmed, whereas in areas such as Jeongeup, Namwon, Jinan, Muju, Jangsu, Imsil, Sunchang, Gochang, and Buan, both primaries and uncontested candidates have been mixed.

The proportional representation for basic local councils will be decided by an electoral college made up of 50% party members with voting rights and 50% standing committee members of the regional committee. Voting takes place with each voter casting one vote, and in regions with only one candidate, the candidate is confirmed without a separate vote.

However, the composition of the electoral college for proportional representation elections may vary depending on regional characteristics. In complex electoral districts (those including multiple cities or counties), both party members with voting rights from the relevant areas and standing committee members of the National Assembly constituency participate. This applies to four areas: Gunsan, Gimje, and Buan; Jeongeup and Gochang; Namwon, Jangsu, Imsil, and Sunchang; and Wanju, Jinan, and Muju. For example, in the election for proportional representation in Jeongeup, 50% of the votes come from party members with voting rights and 50% from standing committee members of Jeongeup and Gochang.

A representative from the North Jeolla Provincial Party Proportional Nomination Committee emphasized, "The position of proportional representative is about embodying the values and philosophy of the party, not representing any specific individual," and added, "We focused on candidates' ability and sense of responsibility to represent the residents."

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