Assemblyman So Byeong-cheol Corrects Gerrymandering in Suncheon Electoral District
The National Assembly Constituency Delimitation Committee submitted the '22nd Constituency Delimitation Plan' to the National Assembly on the 5th, which includes a plan to divide the Jeonnam Suncheon·Gwangyang·Gokseong·Gurye Gap and Eul constituencies into Suncheon City Gap and Eul constituencies.
Additionally, the plan includes the restoration of the Suncheon City Haeryong-myeon constituency, which faced strong local opposition due to gerrymandering in the 21st general election. So Byeong-cheol, Member of the National Assembly (Democratic Party of Korea, Suncheon (Gap)/Legislation and Judiciary Committee Whip), stated that he "actively welcomes" this.
Since the 21st general election, Representative So has emphasized the need to correct the distorted constituencies in Suncheon.
He recalled that after his election, he proposed a revision to the Public Official Election Act as his first bill to normalize the constituencies, and also that in February, at the 'Suncheon Democratic Party Advancement Conference,' a 'Resolution to Urge the Normalization of Suncheon City Constituencies' was adopted. He evaluated, "Today's achievement is the result of consistently appealing together with the citizens of Suncheon to implement the basic principle of the Public Official Election Act that 'a part of one city should not be divided' and the constitutional value of constituency 'regional representation.'"
Before the 21st general election, Suncheon City’s Haeryong-myeon was separately divided and attached to an adjacent constituency as a 'special constituency.' Since then, voices have grown calling for correction due to political alienation of Haeryong-myeon residents and issues of delimitation violating the principles of the Public Official Election Act.
Representative So stated, "Respecting the Democratic Party's position to the fullest, I will do my utmost until the Suncheon City division plan by the Constituency Delimitation Committee is finalized as a revision to the Public Official Election Act."
He also said, "The Constituency Delimitation Committee's opinion on dividing the constituency is appropriate for the status of Suncheon, the 'No. 1 city in Jeonnam' with a population of about 280,000, and I believe it is the result of the aspirations of Suncheon citizens," adding, "I thank all the citizens who joined forces."
Suncheon = Lee Yeon-kyung, Honam Reporting Headquarters, Asia Economy hss79@asiae.co.kr
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
