The Most Challenging Region: Democratic Party TK Politicians Call to End Local Elections That Create "Wasted Votes"

Expanding Basic Council Districts to Three-Member System
Pushing for Multi-Member Districts in Metropolitan Councils

The Daegu City Party and the Gyeongbuk Provincial Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea have called for expanding basic council electoral districts to three members and introducing measures such as a multi-member district system for metropolitan councils in connection with the upcoming local elections in June.

On the 26th, Im Miae, Chairperson of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea and a Democratic Party lawmaker, held a press conference at the National Assembly together with officials from the Daegu City Party and the Gyeongbuk Provincial Committee, urging the Special Committee on Political Reform at the National Assembly to reform the local election system.

They pointed out, "A structure of single-party dominance by a particular party has taken firm root in places where policies and visions for regional revitalization should be competing. As a result, local politics has lost its vitality, competitiveness, and momentum," adding, "Single-party dominance undermines the very essence of local autonomy."

Im Miae, Chairperson of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, along with officials from the Daegu City Party Committee and the Gyeongbuk Provincial Committee, are holding a press conference at the National Assembly on the 26th. Photo by Im Miae's Office

Those engaged in politics in this region, which is known as one of the most challenging areas for the Democratic Party, criticized, "Nearly half of the voters' voices become wasted votes that are not reflected in seats, and unchecked power has grown excessively." They added, "The increasing number of uncontested elections and the ongoing misconduct and illegal activities of local leaders have fueled public distrust and further isolated regional politics."

Officials from the Daegu City Party and the Gyeongbuk Provincial Committee of the Democratic Party referenced the government's 'Five Poles, Three Special Zones' strategy and bold support for administrative integration aimed at balanced national development, urging change. They insisted, "The number of members in basic council electoral districts should be expanded to three or more, and a mixed-member proportional representation system should be introduced." They argued that the current two- and four-member district system should be expanded to three or more members to better reflect the will of the people. Additionally, they called for increasing the minimum number of council members to nine, raising the proportion of proportional representatives to 30 percent, and ensuring that residents' intentions are reflected in the number of seats through a mixed-member proportional representation system.

They also advocated for reforming the metropolitan council electoral system in preparation for administrative integration. Officials from the Daegu City Party and the Gyeongbuk Provincial Committee of the Democratic Party stated, "The current single-member district system for metropolitan councils is a key factor in perpetuating single-party dominance," emphasizing, "There is an urgent need for changes that can strengthen political diversity in metropolitan councils, such as a multi-member district system or a regional party-list proportional representation system." They urged that, if nationwide implementation is difficult, "a decision should be made to introduce such reforms first in regions pursuing administrative integration, such as Gwangju-Jeonnam, Daejeon-Chungnam, and Daegu-Gyeongbuk."