Concerns Over Korean Party's Push for Proportional Satellite Party
"Without Producing a Speaker, Election Reform and Prosecutor Reform Will Be Difficult"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] On the 15th, Lee In-young, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized the Liberty Korea Party for preparing to establish a 'satellite party' to secure proportional representation seats in preparation for the introduction of the mixed-member proportional representation system, saying, "Even if they achieve a landslide victory in the constituencies, they could lose the first place by being overtaken in the proportional representation seats."
Lee appeared on TBS Radio's 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory' on the same day and said, "If the Liberty Korea Party takes nearly 20 seats through the proportional satellite party and 5 to 6 seats through simple proportional representation, even if we (the Democratic Party) win by nearly 20 seats in the constituencies, we will be overtaken in the proportional representation," adding, "This is the worst-case scenario."
Lee said, "If 20 to 25% of Liberty Korea Party supporters shift to choose the Liberty Korea Party's satellite party, I believe the Liberty Korea Party could secure half or more of the 47 proportional representation seats," adding, "This would cause serious problems in the role of the National Assembly, including the issue of the first party, the composition of leadership such as the Speaker of the National Assembly, and the overall leadership of state affairs."
He continued, "If we (the Democratic Party) had not produced the Speaker of the National Assembly, it would have been difficult to achieve the great historical reforms of the electoral system and prosecutorial reform today," and added, "Wasn't the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye possible because we produced the Speaker? (If we lose the status of the first party) such serious problems will arise."
Regarding the question about the possibility of the Democratic Party establishing a satellite party, he said, "For us to create a satellite party would contradict the part where we said that the introduction of the mixed-member proportional representation system opened the way for electoral and political reform," adding, "On this issue, we must seek wisdom from the people and wait for the wise choice of the public."
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