[Citizen College Season 7] #2 Political Polarization and Electoral Reform

On May 3, 2023, the Seongbuk Adult Education School, PDI, and the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Korea University held the second lecture of the Citizen College Season 7  “Politics in Everyday Life” in Asiatic Research Institute, Korea University. In this lecture Professor Woo Chang Kang from the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Korea University presented on the topic of “Political Polarization and Electoral Reform”.

The lecture, titled “Political Polarization and Electoral Reform”, deals with political conflicts that are deeper than the level of conflict in Korean society and how to reform the electoral system and the electoral system that affect them. In Korean society, polarization and conflict are more acute at the political and political elite level than at the degree of polarization of voters, and extreme camp logic, compromise, and cooperation are prevalent. This phenomenon was greatly influenced by the presidential and parliamentary election system in Korea. Under Korea’s electoral system, which is characterized by a simple majority of presidential, regional and small constituencies, there is a high possibility of political competition centered on winner-take-all, passionate minority supporters, hatred of opposing parties, bipartisan and incentives. This lecture also discussed the necessity and direction of reforming the electoral system. Although it is difficult to create an electoral system that satisfies all three measures of accountability, proportionality, and representation, we discussed the need to reform the current electoral system focused on responsibility after democratization to promote proportionality and representation. Free discussions were held between speakers and citizens on increasing the number of lawmakers, increasing proportional representation, and various electoral reform plans to promote population and regional representation.