[Change the Election]⑨ Kim Jong-min "Final Decision on Election Law, Free Vote at the Plenary Meeting"

Election Law to Be Discussed at the National Assembly's Plenary Committee
Voting Must Be Decided by Free Vote
Plenary Committee Amendments Should Include Public Opinion Surveys

"The revision of the election law should be decided by all members of the plenary committee voting freely."

Kim Jong-min, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, recently said this in an interview with Asia Economy regarding discussions on the revision of the Public Official Election Act. He stated, "Even if the plenary committee of the National Assembly is convened for the election law revision, both ruling and opposition parties have their own interests and will propose amendments to the resolution put forward by the Special Committee on Political Reform," adding, "Ultimately, the key issue will be how the plenary committee decides on these amendments, but it will be difficult to reach an agreement on a single amendment through negotiations between party leaders."

Therefore, he suggests adopting a free voting method for members of both parties in the plenary committee. The final decision on the election law revision should be handed over to individual lawmakers rather than the party leadership, as has been the case traditionally.

Earlier, Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and the floor leaders of both parties prepared multiple draft amendments to the election law by the 17th of this month, planned to form the plenary committee at the plenary session on the 23rd, and to hold discussions over two weeks starting from the 27th. However, the Special Committee on Political Reform is still in the process of discussing the direction of the election law revision.

Kim Jong-min, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Kim also proposed that if multiple amendments are prepared, each amendment should be voted on, and the one with the highest approval rate should be adopted. He said, "(If the Special Committee on Political Reform prepares a draft and submits it to the plenary committee) there will be several amendments in the plenary committee, and each amendment can be adopted by voting for or against, selecting the one with the highest approval rate." He emphasized, "If the decision is made on a party-to-party basis, it will be impossible to create a single proposal," and added, "If an agreement is reached on this method based on voting and approval rates, a revision of the election law that lawmakers can agree on will be prepared."

Kim expressed hope that the stalled discussions on the election law revision, compared to the enthusiasm at the beginning of the year, will find a breakthrough soon. Regarding the lull in discussions, he said, "For the People Power Party, the party convention is underway, and for the Democratic Party, the election law revision discussions have inevitably disappeared due to the black hole of the vote on the party leader's arrest motion," but predicted, "After the 10th, there will be a situation where discussions on election system reform can progress." He explained that since the electoral district delimitation bill was not submitted by the 10th, the current proper electoral district delimitation work has proceeded for the time being.

He expects that the plenary committee being broadcasted and reported will have a significant impact on the election law revision. He also stressed the importance of reflecting public opinion through public surveys. Kim said, "We need to conduct public surveys to reflect them in the discussions on amendments to the election law revision," adding, "It is difficult to conduct public surveys on options like Plan A or Plan B for the election law revision," and "We should conduct public surveys on several key issues and then reflect them in the amendments."

Kim, who served as the secretary of the Special Committee on Political Reform in the 20th National Assembly, also advised the committee members to expedite the preparation of a resolution. He said, "Even if the Special Committee on Political Reform adopts a resolution, it is not a bill or a decision, so the burden is less," and "I would like to ask them to quickly produce a resolution because it can strongly drive public opinion among lawmakers." Currently, the Special Committee on Political Reform is delaying decisions, citing internal party discussions by the leadership of both parties.

Kim Jong-min, member of the Democratic Party of Korea./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Regarding negotiations on the direction of the election law revision between the ruling and opposition parties, Kim said, "The only way is to discuss together without insisting only on their own proposals." He emphasized, "For example, if the People Power Party proposes a mixed urban-rural multi-member district system, instead of opposing and blocking the discussion, let's talk about it together. In return, let's also discuss our proposal. This attitude is important," and stressed, "It is important not to be exclusive of the other party's proposal."

The 'Bipartisan Political Reform Lawmakers' Group,' which supports the election law revision discussions, also expressed its intention to support the discussions both openly and behind the scenes. Kim, who is also an operating committee member of this group, said, "Going forward, regardless of party, we plan to gather consensus through individual talks with lawmakers, the plenary committee, and general meetings of lawmakers," adding, "The group will act as a glue and facilitator to help the Special Committee on Political Reform refine the resolution." He also said, "The group will engage in dialogue and persuasion with party leaders and will consider whether it is necessary to seek cooperation from the president," indicating plans to maintain various points of contact.

Kim, who has long advocated for the necessity of expanding proportional representation in the election law revision, said, "Regarding the increase in the number of lawmakers, it is necessary to conduct public surveys through proposals that include budget cuts and other suggestions," adding, "If public opinion opposes it, there is nothing we can do, but there is no reason to fear asking the public through surveys." He stressed that the National Assembly should not give up on the opportunity to persuade the public by being overly conscious of public opinion on the number of lawmakers.