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South Korea Parties Clash Over Member-Heavy Voting Rules as DP Delays Vote to Dec. 5

Opponents warn the shift could sideline weaker regions, pulling parties toward their most fervent supporters.

Overview

  • The Democratic Party pushed back a Central Committee decision on a one-person-one-vote overhaul from Nov. 28 to Dec. 5 after visible resistance.
  • Jung Chung-rae’s plan would equalize delegate and dues-paying member ballots from roughly 20-to-1 to 1-to-1, with August’s convention showing one delegate equaled 17.5 member votes.
  • Supreme Council member Lee Un-ju protested the pace by walking out of a meeting, and threatened legal challenges from some supporters prompted leadership to pause.
  • Party figures warn an equal-weight system could marginalize Yeongnam and DaeguGyeongbuk voices given dues-paying members are concentrated in Seoul and Honam.
  • The People Power Party is preparing to raise party-member weight in local primary voting to 70 percent from 50 percent, drawing criticism that reducing polling input risks insularity.