Jeong Jeongsik: "Yong Nominated Twice Due to Semi-Linked Proportional Representation... Proposes Full Abolition Talks"

Jungsik Jeong, floor leader of the People Power Party, proposed on the 10th, "I suggest we begin discussions on election system reform to completely abolish the semi-interlocked proportional representation system."

Jungsik Jeong, floor leader of the People Power Party, is delivering a negotiation group representative speech at the National Assembly plenary session on September 8, 2026. Photo by Dongju Yoon

At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Floor Leader Jeong criticized, "The reason that Minister of Gender Equality and Family nominee Yong Hyein was able to serve twice as a proportional representative, and that parasitic parties such as the Basic Income Party could continue to leech off the public, all stems from the responsibility of the Democratic Party of Korea, which acts as the host party."

Floor Leader Jeong continued, "The Basic Income Party, to which Minister-nominee Yong belongs, entrusted the party's policy research projects to its officials and even received about 70 million won in various job subsidies," adding, "At this rate, the party should change its name to the Parasitic Income Party."

He further stated, "The root cause of all these issues is ultimately the fundamentally flawed semi-interlocked proportional representation system. Instead of being chosen by the people, these proportional representatives entered the National Assembly by being selected by the Democratic Party of Korea, and now they act as the party’s vanguard. Such a substandard system must be abolished."

Floor Leader Jeong also said, "The semi-interlocked proportional representation system broke the tradition that 'the election system should be decided by bipartisan agreement' and was an evil law that was traded behind the scenes for the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO). If things remain the same, we will continue to see a second or third nominee like Minister-nominee Yong. The Democratic Party must take full responsibility and participate in discussions to reform the election system."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.