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

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"Local council members? 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 local elections in 1995. Despite a generation having passed, the system, often referred to as 'grassroots democracy,' has yet to truly take root. Some even criticize it as a closed league serving only the interests of a select few, while being largely ignored by the public. One stark example of this local political crisis is the prevalence of 'uncontested elections.'

In the most recent local elections, 490 candidates were elected without a single vote being cast. These candidates were essentially chosen outside the public’s attention, without campaign flyers or posters. This issue occurred frequently even in Seoul, where two city council members, 109 district council members, and 10 proportional representation members were elected uncontested.

The main reason for the widespread occurrence of uncontested elections is that local elections are often conducted through collusion among political parties. In constituencies where two candidates are elected, the ruling and opposition parties conveniently nominate one candidate each, ensuring uncontested victories. As public disengagement from local politics grows, even minor parties and independent candidates have disappeared from the scene.

Instead of appealing to voters, candidates focus solely on currying favor with local National Assembly members or party leaders who have influence over nominations. This structure is also behind the persistent scandals regarding bribery and nomination irregularities in local elections. The overwhelming influence of political parties has stifled the self-sufficiency of local politics. This so-called 'bandwagon effect' occurs not only in Honam and Yeongnam regions but also in elections across the metropolitan area. As political parties become the sole basis for voters' choices in blind voting, it has become difficult to expect healthy mechanisms of oversight and checks within local councils.

Given this reality, the Public Official Election Act passed by the National Assembly on April 18 carries significance as a step toward 'reform.' Although limited, the act introduces a multi-member constituency system in four election districts of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City (Gwangju Special City) and increases the proportion of proportional representatives in metropolitan councils by 4 percentage points, raising it to 14%. For basic local councils, the multi-member constituency system will be implemented in 27 districts, up from the existing 11, with 16 new districts added.

Those advocating for more fundamental political reform may view these changes as incomplete. Some argue that it is merely reform in appearance. Nevertheless, it should not be overlooked that without even such efforts at change, it would be difficult to foster the self-sufficiency of grassroots democracy. Using this change as a starting point, efforts to find reform measures and solutions for the revitalization of local politics in an era of local extinction must continue.

Advocates for healthy local politics emphasize that regional politics must develop self-sufficiency without relying on central politics. The key lies in political diversity. Perhaps grassroots democracy will truly thrive when a culture of listening to different perspectives and new voices takes hold.

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