[Excerpt from the 225th Supreme Council Meeting]

 “A vote for all party members to make a choice for the party.”

□ March 11, 2020 (Wed.) 

■ Lee Hae-chan, Chairman of the DPK

Today the ruling Democratic Party of Korea will hold a vote for all its party members to decide whether the ruling party will participate in a proportional representative party coalition. This coalition would field only proportional representatives who led the Candlelight Revolution, which helped the incumbent government win the presidential election. The current electoral system created as part of the party’s efforts to reform electoral laws, even at the disadvantage of the ruling party, is designed to minimize unfair advantages that giant political parties have enjoyed under past election laws, and help minor parties win more seats in the National Assembly. However, the United Future Party is unfairly stealing proportional representative seats from minor parties by creating a satellite party. The ruling DPK has repeatedly called on the UFP to give up its expediencies, as well as for the National Election Commission to reject the satellite party. However, both the UFP and the NEC have declined the DPK’s request. Preposterously, the UFP has arrogantly declared that if it becomes a dominant party within the assembly, then the UFP will impeach President Moon Jae-in as an act of reprisal. However, the current climate is not on our side. If the ruling DPK joins the coalition party, it will not seek any proportional representative seats that it would otherwise win.

The ruling DPK will give priority to candidates from minor parties and then make the utmost efforts to carry out our duties. The ruling DPK has no intention of winning seats that it has no right to under the current electoral law. The ruling DPK will help minor parties make inroads into the National Assembly by conceding reform-minded and progressive minor parties priority numbers to win proportional representative seats. The ruling DPK is determined to defend the cause of the current electoral law and fight back against the UFP that is violating and evading this law. However, if the ruling DPK joins the coalition party, we will have to make an unprecedented sacrifice wherein the party cannot field its own candidates for proportional representatives. Since the ruling party would as a result pay a hefty price without obtaining more parliamentary seats, it is of paramount importance to hear the opinions of all its members, the owners of the party. Whether or not the ruling DPK should participate in the coalition will be put to vote for all members of the party tomorrow. The ruling DPK will humbly accept the decision made by our fellow party members.