Cho Kuk: “President Lee Once Called the Two-member Constituency for Local Councilors a Deep-rooted Evil... I Hope the Democratic Party Stays True to Its Principles”

[Financial News] Cho Kuk, leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, on the 26th referenced past remarks by President Lee Jae-myung, as the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and People Power Party are showing moves to increase the number of two-member constituencies for local councilors in next year’s local elections.
On the 26th, Cho Kuk mentioned on his Facebook page that President Lee, while serving as Mayor of Seongnam in 2018, criticized the two-member constituency system for local councilors. Cho described Lee’s comments as a keen insight into the problems of the local election system, stating, “The Rebuilding Korea Party fully agrees with Mayor Lee Jae-myung’s 2018 proposal.” He continued, “On January 7, 2018, Mayor Lee Jae-myung pointed out on social media that the two-member constituency for local councilors was a ‘deep-rooted evil,’ lamenting that ‘if you receive the nomination from the first or second party, even a murderer can be elected, but without it, even a saint will lose.’”
Cho Kuk further noted, “On January 10, 2018, then-Mayor Lee stated, ‘In Seongnam, 12 out of 14 constituencies are two-member, the highest ratio in Gyeonggi Province. Most city councilors are either guaranteed election with a party nomination or guaranteed defeat without one. Will these councilors side with the citizens or with the party that nominates them?’” Cho emphasized that Lee called for abolishing the “anti-citizen, anti-democratic” two-member constituencies and replacing them with three- or four-member ones. This is interpreted as a message urging the DPK to stop expanding the two-member constituency system, which raises the barrier for third parties to enter local councils.
Cho Kuk pointed out, “In the last local elections, two-member constituencies accounted for 543 out of 1,030, making up the majority. When the two major parties each nominate a candidate, they are almost automatically elected, and the diverse voices of local residents are not reflected in local politics.” He added, “Nevertheless, there is a recent trend, led by the major parties, to reduce multi-member constituencies and increase two-member ones. This is a deeply regrettable regression for local autonomy.” Cho stressed, “I hope the DPK will uphold President Lee Jae-myung’s long-standing principle of abolishing the anti-citizen, anti-democratic two-member constituency system.”
gaa1003@fnnews.com An Ga-eul Reporter