[Magic Number 90%]⑫ Jung Woo-taek "Restoring Public Trust is Priority... Need to Improve Non-Arrest and Immunity Privileges"

"Self-interest and Populism Fuel Rumor-Mongering... Growing Political Distrust"
All Options for Electoral Reform Including Large Multi-member Districts Presented
Abolition of 5-Year Single Term and Dual Executive System, "Institutional Alternatives Possible"

"Compared to the politics of Nordic countries such as Denmark and Sweden, the core seems to be public trust. To overcome the crisis of politics divided into extremes and the disappearance of cooperative governance, the National Assembly must first restore public trust. The beginning is to relinquish the privileges of National Assembly members."

In a recent interview with Asia Economy held at the National Assembly main building, Deputy Speaker Jung Woo-taek said, "Do the people need politicians who neglect people's livelihood, engage in party-interest wars, rush populist legislation, and focus on spreading rumors and agitation? The public sentiment is that if such members exist, their number should be reduced." Deputy Speaker Jung added, "Political distrust is growing and criticism of politicians is increasing due to the dysfunctional aspects of politics that make people anxious and fail to mediate conflicts," emphasizing that "starting with reducing the number of members, various privileges must also be relinquished."

Interview_Jung Woo-taek, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The constitutional privileges of National Assembly members pointed out by Deputy Speaker Jung are immunity from arrest and parliamentary immunity. He said, "The immunity from arrest was an extremely exceptional system created to protect the legitimate legislative activities of members during the era when military regimes suppressed the political sphere, but now it is being abused as a means for members who have committed personal corruption crimes to evade the law." He also pointed out, "Parliamentary immunity protects members from being held accountable outside the National Assembly for statements and votes made in the course of their duties, but it is sometimes abused to produce abusive language and fake news inside the Assembly." He added, "There may be other tangible and intangible privileges perceived by the public. Discussions on improvements must continue so that these privileges are used solely to serve the people."

Deputy Speaker Jung began his career as a member of the 15th National Assembly in 1996. Nearly 30 years have passed, spanning legislative and administrative roles. He stated, "Although the National Assembly has changed a lot, the single-member district system, which has continued since 1988, has caused extreme confrontational politics." He explained, "When one person is elected, the opposing camp devotes themselves to destructive politics aimed at demonizing and toppling the elected member for the next four years," adding, "there are aspects of wasted votes, regionalism, and intensified extreme factional politics." He expressed regret, saying, "These results lead to voters' political distrust and ultimately weaken democracy."

Deputy Speaker Jung recalled that although there have been continuous discussions on electoral system reform in the existing political sphere, no proper improvements have been made. In the 21st National Assembly, a Special Committee on Political Reform was formed about a year before the general election. In March, a plenary committee involving all members of the National Assembly was launched for the first time in 19 years. From April 10 for four days, 100 members of the National Assembly continued discussions on the electoral system, but only the existing confrontational patterns were confirmed without reaching a conclusion. He said, "The National Assembly is aware of the side effects of the single-member district system, but the reform discussions have been tainted and fizzled out due to party interests or strategic approaches."

Deputy Speaker Jung diagnosed, "It is a situation where all possible options, including the introduction of a multi-member district system, must be considered." He noted that electoral district reform alone cannot be a 'panacea.' He said, "The results can vary depending on how many members are elected from one district and how many candidates a party can nominate in one district," but emphasized, "Although there are concerns about the proliferation of minor parties, in the current political reality thoroughly divided into extremes, I believe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks."

The multi-member district system alone cannot solve the problem: "Each member must have the spirit of national prosperity and people's welfare"

Interview_Jung Woo-taek, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

In addition, Deputy Speaker Jung argued that abolishing the single five-year term and adopting a form of a dual executive system could be institutional alternatives. He said, "There have been many discussions aimed at mitigating or abolishing the imperial presidency," adding, "I have thought it would be good if the prime minister focuses on domestic affairs, while the president is elected but handles special areas such as diplomacy and national defense."

In particular, regarding the single five-year term, he judged that "the constitution created in 1987 has continued to this day" and "its lifespan is over." Regarding the multi-party system, he said it is "desirable" in terms of satisfying the increasingly diverse political demands of the people, but expressed concern that "parties representing only specific groups do not consider comprehensive national interests to appeal their existence to their supporters, which could rather deepen political conflicts." He judged that the conflict factors would worsen, making the operation of the National Assembly itself difficult. He added, "Minor parties do not engage in dialogue and compromise well; rather, the smaller the party, the more they try to cause conflicts, which is the behavior I have observed so far."

Deputy Speaker Jung introduced his political conviction as one simple principle: 'Guktaeminan (國泰民安)' (national peace and people's security). He said, "It may be an old-fashioned idea, but it means the country is peaceful and the people live comfortably," adding, "The purpose of politics is national prosperity and people's welfare (Gukrimimbok, 國利民福)." He added, "If each member moves with the spirit of national prosperity and people's welfare and Guktaeminan, the National Assembly can regain trust."