System on proportional representation vote to be changed

UFP lawmakers leave the National Assembly's main hall, Tuesday. Yonhap

By Do Je-hae

The main opposition United Future Party (UFP) is pushing to change a controversial electoral system that allowed voters to select candidates for proportional representation seats in addition to candidates representing constituencies.

The system was introduced for the April 15 general election and led to the major parties' creation of satellite parties.

According to party sources, Tuesday, first-term lawmakers of the UFP who won proportional seats as members of the UFP's satellite Future Korea Party (FKP) are planning to propose a revision to the election law, including the termination of the system. The FKP was merged recently into the UFP.

The new system was intended to give minor parties a better chance of winning proportional seats to ensure a more diverse National Assembly and ultimately eradicate the long dominance of the two major parties.

But there has been criticism that the system has failed to serve its original intention, and rather has let the two major parties dominate the proportional seats through creating satellite parties ― the UFP set up the FKP and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) formed Civil Together, which was also absorbed into the DPK recently.

Some other UFP lawmakers who won Assembly seats in the constituency vote have also joined the move, with some slightly different ideas as to what could replace the system.

The DPK is also positive about abolishing the system.

“We will propose a revision bill to abolish the new proportional representation system and restore the election law at the start of the 21st National Assembly,” UFP Rep. Kwak Sang-do said in a media interview.

“We will do our best to fix the problems of the satellite parties and harmful consequences of the system that we experienced during the election process.”