[Change the Election] ⑭ 'Baekgajaengmyeong' Election Law Committee Review: "There Is Still a Chance"

Lee Gwanhu, Professor at Konkuk University Sangheo College
Expert: Deliberative Polling Could Drive Election Reform
"Proportional Representation Should Be Strengthened to Address National Issues"

"What we learned when the National Assembly held a plenary committee to reform the election system this time was that a lot of preliminary measures must be taken before opening the plenary committee."

Professor Lee Gwan-hoo of Konkuk University's Sangheo College of Liberal Arts analyzed this in an interview with Asia Economy on the 13th, saying about the plenary committee, "Frankly speaking, there were many regrets in terms of public interest and seeking solutions." The National Assembly convened the plenary committee for four days from the 10th to the 14th to hear the voices of 100 lawmakers regarding the election system reform. Although the plenary committee was held for the first time in 20 years and attracted attention, it has been evaluated as a directionless debate and a cacophony of 100 different voices.

He explained the fundamental cause of the plenary committee's poor turnout, which was considered a breakthrough for election system reform, as a lack of preparation. Professor Lee said, "The plenary committee should have been a format where the members confirmed the agreement through speeches and discussions, as the agreement was virtually reached but was blocked due to procedural constraints," adding, "Through this, the members could have realized 'actually, we have some level of agreement' and put aside party interests, but the situation was not prepared for that." The plenary committee was supposed to be a card to find the final political breakthrough at the moment when some agreement on election system reform was reached and a decision was needed, but it was only used as a forum for discussion.

Kwang-Hoo Lee, Professor at Sangheo College of Liberal Arts, Konkuk University

Regarding the remaining discussions on electoral district reorganization, he emphasized overcoming the temptation of collusion and listening to experts and the public. Professor Lee said, "Now is the time when the temptation to hastily collude at an appropriate level will come," and added, "If opinions like 'We tried the plenary committee, but there is no other way' arise, the temptation for the leadership of the two major parties to compromise at an appropriate level will increase, but such election law revision would be the worst-case scenario. Using the excuse that the deadline for election law revision has passed or the desire to eliminate uncertainty by making small changes or pilot implementations through hasty agreements is the worst approach."

Professor Lee argued, "It would have been better if the agreement had been reached in advance, but since it has come to this, we need to look at the expert survey results expected from the Political Reform Special Committee by the end of this month." The National Assembly's Political Reform Special Committee plans to hear opinions this month from experts related to the election system, such as political scientists and legal scholars.

He said, "The total target is over 2,000 people, and even if only 50% respond, that would be 1,000 people. If more than 1,000 political scientists and legal scholars provide their opinions, we should listen carefully." The Political Reform Special Committee will also conduct public opinion polls and deliberative public surveys to hear the voices of the public regarding election system reform. In particular, the results of the deliberative public survey, where 500 citizen participants receive information about the election system and then discuss and form opinions, are also attracting attention from the political world. Professor Lee predicted, "Experts and the public may differ on details, but a broad principle framework will emerge, and if the political world waits for this and debates how to implement it, it could be processed with bipartisan agreement in May or June."

From the early stages of election system reform discussions, Professor Lee has attended various forums held at the National Assembly and elsewhere, emphasizing the need to respond to regional extinction. Regarding issues such as regional extinction, he pointed out, "Countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, which adopt single-member districts, have systems such as the Senate to complement population proportionality (small constituencies), but we have a unicameral system composed only by population proportionality, so there is no way to respond to regional extinction." He said, "There are two ways to respond to regional extinction: increasing local representation and increasing the number of lawmakers interested in national agendas such as regional extinction, climate crisis, youth unemployment, and low birthrate and aging," adding, "If the number of proportional representation lawmakers increases, they can pay attention to these issues." Strengthening the proportional representation system means that the political world can handle national agendas beyond regional extinction.

Regarding negative public opinion about proportional representation, he said, "It is not a problem with the proportional representation system itself but the result of each party mismanaging it so far," and criticized, "Currently, the logic is that after serving as a proportional representative once, one should go to a local district to become a lawmaker, which treats proportional representation as a kind of benefit." He said, "Parties should correct this by pledging not to mismanage proportional representation, encourage competition among proportional representatives to develop expertise, and allow for re-election and third-term elections of proportional representatives if they perform well."

Professor Lee said, "If the number of proportional representatives increases and in parties with over 100 seats, about 30 to 40 seats are proportional representatives, policy committees of each party can be operated centering on them, enabling responses to current issues," and added, "(From a national perspective) if expert proportional representatives are re-elected and serve third terms, they will be able to demonstrate their capabilities. If someone with diplomatic expertise becomes the chair of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, and someone knowledgeable about the climate crisis becomes the chair of the Environment and Labor Committee, the National Assembly will change significantly." He questioned, "If proportional representatives increase sufficiently and can work in policy areas without the obsession that they must go to local constituencies, why would proportional representation be criticized and called a useless system?"

Regarding negative public opinion about proportional representation, he also said, "In the political world, there are opinion polls about proportional representation and related issues, but where in the world would there be a country that says increasing lawmakers through opinion polls is good?" He added, "There are bad practices related to proportional representation, and since they have not been properly improved, voices calling for its abolition arise. If public deliberation surveys that provide proper information and allow discussion are conducted, the public's opinion on this could change."