[Statement] The General Election 2020: We call for real political reform
The General Election 2020: We call for real political reform
Korea sliding back into a two-party system by political regression and unconstitutional satellite parties
Korea must reform its electoral system
16 April 2020
On 15th April, the voting rate of the 21st National Assembly elections recorded 66.2% which is the highest voter turnout in 28 years. In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is encouraging that more voters have participated than previous elections. Voters’ choice is to judge the conservative party for playing their old games to delay the reforms throughout their terms in the 20th National Assembly and further call for the Moon Jae-in administration and the ruling party to reform properly. The National Assembly has been changed in the reflection of the citizens’ voice after the candlelight protest.
The political parties should respect the voters’ choice and determination to reform the retreating politics. Furthermore, the two-party system must end unprecedented competitions with satellite parties and the politics of hatred and exclusion as well as must end thoughtless speeches of some candidates.
As this is the first election after the introduction of a quasi MMP(mixed-member proportional) representation system, it was expected to have at least some higher proportionality between the support rate and the number of seats and yet to accommodate diversity. However, the politics in Korea has returned into huge bipartisan satellite parties which is the exact opposite of the reform. As the Democratic Party of Korea and its satellite party(The Citizen Party) are to win 180 seats and the United Future Party and its satellite party(Future Korea Party) to win 103 seats, there is a high possibility for the bipartisan for the enlarged two parties are to win 283 out of 300 which is 67.1 % of the total vote and to take over the 94 % of the seats.
Since the original purpose of the reform to raise the proportionality and diversity has gone away, the need for another re-amendment on the election law for the MMP representation system is proven by the latest election result. The United Future Party has been against the reform to maintain their vested interests and intervened in the nomination process and the Democratic Party of Korea has sued on this matter and yet has created their satellite party. The voters will recall that such are the responsibilities of the two main parties and the Korean National Election Commission.
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