"Yoo Seung-min and Lee Jun-seok: How Can They Go Together with the Ruling Party?"
"Democratic Party Should Stop Fighting Over Subak and Gaeddal and Set Up Separate Households"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Former Secretary General of the National Assembly Yuin Tae emphasized the need for electoral system reform, saying that the change to the 'large multi-member constituency system' proposed by President Yoon Seok-yeol is "also the dream of former President Roh Moo-hyun."
On the 4th, former Secretary General Yuin said on KBS's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strongest Current Affairs,' "There is a certain excitement that 'Roh Moo-hyun's dream' might be realized this time."
He said, "Twenty years ago, in 2003, President Roh Moo-hyun proposed in his first National Assembly policy speech, 'Since regionalism is still strong, if you reform the electoral system so that a single party cannot win more than two-thirds in a specific region, I will grant the winning majority party or coalition the right to recommend the Prime Minister in next year's election.' I was also a party to the negotiations on this election law with the opposition for several months."
President Yoon hinted at a change to the large multi-member constituency system in his New Year's interview. Unlike the 'winner-takes-all' single-member district system, the large multi-member constituency system allows candidates ranked 2nd to 4th in a district to become lawmakers. There is an expectation that breaking the existing two-party system and moving toward a multi-party system could change the political culture from confrontation to cooperation.
Former Secretary General Yuin said, "President Yoon originally made this pledge during his candidacy, and at a recent National Assembly Speaker's dinner, when Speaker Kim Jin-pyo brought up constitutional amendment, he said, 'Now we must also do political reform,' and mentioned the electoral system then as well." He added, "This is not something that suddenly popped up; it seems to have been a long-held conviction, and since the president still has power, this is a better opportunity than ever before."
He predicts that if the large multi-member constituency system is introduced, the party system will shift from the existing two-party system to a multi-party system. Former Secretary General Yuin said, "If only candidates numbered 1 and 2 survive, then parties will first split." He added, "How can former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min and former leader Lee Jun-seok go along with the People Power Party? The Democratic Party also has internal conflicts like 'subak' and 'gaeddal,' so they will have to live separately."
In response to the host's question about whether the parties could split into four or five groups such as moderate conservatives, hardline conservatives, moderate progressives, and just progressives, former Secretary General Yuin said, "It has to be that way to become healthy again."
However, whether reform can be achieved is uncertain due to the vested interests within the ruling and opposition parties. Former Secretary General Yuin said, "Generally, conservative parties have been more unresponsive to electoral reform," adding, "Not all Democrats agree either, but from the Democratic Party's perspective, since leader Lee Jae-myung resolved at a party meeting during his presidential candidacy to bring about political change, they cannot oppose it on principle."
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