Democratic Party's Gyeongju Committee Strongly Condemns Attempt to Restructure Constituency Redistricting Plan

The Democratic Party Gyeongju Regional Committee has voiced strong opposition to the recently discussed redistricting plan for Gyeongju city council constituencies, calling it a regressive move and an attempt by a particular party to monopolize seats.

In a statement released on the 21st, the committee emphasized that the purpose of the Special Committee on Political Reform, which was agreed upon by both ruling and opposition parties, is to ease the winner-takes-all structure and better reflect the diversity of public opinion by expanding proportional representation for metropolitan council members and introducing multi-member constituencies.

Provided by the Gyeongju Regional Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea

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However, the committee criticized the current redistricting plan being pursued in Gyeongju for running counter to these trends of the times.

Due to changes in the system, the number of metropolitan and basic council members in Gyeongju is expected to increase by one each.

Nevertheless, the committee pointed out that the city is attempting to restructure the existing six two-member constituencies and two three-member constituencies into eight two-member constituencies and one three-member constituency.

The committee explained that this move goes against the reform direction of expanding multi-member constituencies.

In particular, the committee argued that there is a clear political intent to recreate the abnormal composition of the previous assembly, in which one specific party occupied 19 out of 21 seats.

The committee also criticized the plan as a tactic to deepen the gap between vote shares and seat ratios and to entrench a structure where minority political forces monopolize the council.

The Democratic Party Gyeongju Regional Committee demanded an immediate halt to the hasty attempt to expand two-member constituencies.

It also urged the city to abandon efforts to monopolize seats by exploiting structural advantages and to prepare a rational redistricting plan that fairly reflects the diverse opinions of citizens.

A committee official stated that the local council is not the exclusive domain of any single party but a body representing the will of all citizens, and warned that if this regressive move is pushed through, it will be considered an act that undermines democracy, vowing to stand firmly with citizens against it.

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