[Let's Change Elections] ⑮ Sim Sang-jung's Remark on Yoon's Proposal of the Large Multi-member Constituency System

"President Yoon Seok-yeol must reveal his thoughts on electoral system reform."

Sim Sang-jung, a lawmaker from the Justice Party, said this in an interview with Asia Economy on the 21st, stating, "What has been forgotten in the discussion on electoral system reform is President Yoon's thoughts." Although President Yoon raised the issue of the multi-member constituency system as a key topic of political reform in his New Year's media interview, he was notably absent from the current discussions on electoral system reform.

Sim, who ran against President Yoon as the Justice Party's presidential candidate in the last election, said, "During the last presidential election, President Yoon pledged political reform," adding, "Through the plenary committee, the thoughts of ruling and opposition lawmakers regarding the electoral system were revealed, and as the negotiation phase between the parties proceeds, not only the representatives of each party but also President Yoon's thoughts should be disclosed to the public."

He emphasized, "The president initiated the electoral reform, and from a systemic perspective, the People Power Party is a party where the president's will is crucial," adding, "Since President Yoon has consistently expressed the need to improve extreme polarization politics as his personal conviction, it is now time for the president to clearly state his thoughts."

He also called for a clear stance on political reform from the Democratic Party. Sim said, "During the last presidential election phase, the Democratic Party apologized for satellite parties and emphasized that it would take the lead in political reform and seek a transition to a political system capable of multi-party coalition government," adding, "Although the party is reluctant to take a position citing difficulties, I believe that Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party leader, and the party must never forget this promise to the people."

He predicted, "Only when President Yoon, Lee Jae-myung, and Kim Ki-hyun, the People Power Party leader, clearly express their thoughts will full-scale negotiations be possible."

Sim Sang-jung, a member of the Justice Party, is being interviewed on the 21st at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Jin-hyung Kang aymsdream@

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Regarding the plenary committee, he still held onto expectations and hope. Sim proposed that based on the four days of plenary committee discussions, a second season of the plenary committee should be pursued. He evaluated the previous plenary committee by saying, "It is important that it created a new start." He added, "Throughout my legislative activities, I have participated in seven political reform special committee sessions, and each time the electoral system was a key topic, but reform failed. This time, the plenary committee was pushed forward to overcome that formula of failure. It is the first time that lawmakers, who are the main actors in political reform, have openly expressed their convictions to the public."

Sim said, "Although it is called a predetermined failure, when we drive, sometimes it seems a bit off at first, but later it changes significantly; similarly, the plenary committee can become a turning point." He viewed the fact that 100 lawmakers expressed their positions on the electoral system through the plenary committee as unprecedented in previous electoral reform discussions and believed it could greatly influence the bipartisan negotiation-style electoral reform talks.

He said, "Since the National Assembly has long maintained a two-party system and decisions have been made through negotiations between the two parties, the role of the two party leaderships will grow during the negotiation phase," but also predicted, "Even if decisions are ultimately made through party consensus and leadership negotiations, the statements made by lawmakers in the plenary committee cannot be withdrawn and will have binding force." Sim noted, "Until now, there was no time for lawmakers to debate in political reform discussions, but this time, lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties revealed sincere concerns and listened seriously," calling it "the prologue, like in a play."

Sim also expressed that the plenary committee should continue. He said, "Formally, the plenary committee should continue the procedure of adopting resolutions," adding, "Based on the results of the four days of discussions, a subcommittee should be formed to narrow down the issues, and if disputes arise there, a second plenary committee could be held." He said, "The plenary committee should continue and strive to narrow down the three electoral reform proposals submitted as resolutions to two or fewer." He explained that since there was consensus on increasing proportionality, the difficulty of expanding the number of lawmakers, the need for regional balanced seats to respond to regional extinction, and the need to improve the method of electing proportional representatives during the past four days of plenary committee discussions, a second round of discussions could be held on these narrowed issues.

Sim Sang-jung, a member of the Justice Party, is being interviewed on the 21st at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

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What is Sim's goal for electoral system reform? He emphasized that electoral reform should break polarized politics and enable diverse politics. He said, "Many people have entered politics and worked hard to change the world, but under the current extreme polarization politics, it is difficult to expect politicians to act on their convictions," adding, "To change South Korea, we must ultimately change this two-party, extreme polarization politics." He continued, "Changing polarized politics means changing the distorted electoral system to set democracy right," and said, "Democracy is not majority rule but diversity. True democracy is when numerous minorities in our society become part of the majority." He added, "For 20 years, progressive politics has played a pioneering role for this diversity, and now I want to see the fruits of that."

Sim also declared his readiness to give up the Justice Party's vested interests for such reform. On the 10th, during the plenary committee, he stressed the need for electoral reform and drew attention by saying, "If multi-party cooperative politics can lead to various parties with diverse solutions entering the National Assembly, it does not have to be the Justice Party." Regarding this remark, he explained, "When it comes to political reform, especially electoral reform, there is misunderstanding and distrust that it is about protecting vested interests. Progressive parties like the Justice Party have survived as a third party in Korean politics for 20 years. Although we have had little vested interest in the National Assembly, if politics can fundamentally change, we are willing to give up even those small vested interests out of desperation."

In the current electoral reform discussion process, a cross-party group of lawmakers called the Bipartisan Political Reform Lawmakers' Group (hereafter Lawmakers' Group) is considered a variable. By forming a group of lawmakers who desire political reform regardless of party or faction, they exert influence on the party-led electoral reform discussions. Regarding this, Sim said, "The Lawmakers' Group is a kind of base camp and demilitarized zone," adding, "Political commentators sometimes describe our politics as a state of political civil war, and in such a divided state, there is no time to think about the national community or the future of politics. If left to the existing order, we might not even set the agenda, and what is needed then is a ceasefire and talks." He emphasized, "About half of all lawmakers stepping away from party centripetal forces to form a base camp in a demilitarized zone to change politics is a force that cannot be ignored."

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