The Constitutional Court on Thursday upheld the constitutionality of a new proportional representation (PR) system adopted in 2020 to allow more parliamentary presence for minor parties.

Led by the then ruling Democratic Party, the National Assembly passed an election reform bill to introduce a mixed-member proportional (MMP) representation system, in which parliamentary seats are tied to voters’ support for parties. The new system went into effect in the following parliamentary elections the next year.

Under the new system, the number of directly elected seats and proportional representation slots remain unchanged at 253 and 47, respectively, in the 300-member National Assembly.

But the method of distribution of PR seats was reformed to better reflect the vote share and boost the presence of minor parties, which had largely been underrepresented previously.

Under the revision, 30 of the 47 PR seats are decided under an MMP system, which allocates PR seats so as to compensate for any inequity produced by the district seat results.

The Constitutional Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by Huh Kyung-young, honorary chief of a minor political party, and other voters against the Public Official Election Act that defines the new proportional representation system.

Petitioners had claimed the representation system runs against voters’ basic rights, such as the right to direct elections.

“It’s hard to view it as irrational enough to distort the value of voting or compromise the essence of elections’ representativeness,” the Constitutional Court said.

An official explained that “the Constitutional Court in principle recognizes a broad range of discretionary authority legislators have over the formation of election systems,” adding that the principle was considered in delivering the latest ruling.

Source: Yonhap News Agency