Civic Groups File Constitutional Appeal Over Disparate Vote Value in Daegu, Gyeongbuk Election Districts

The Hankyoreh reports on a significant legal challenge brought forth by 14 civic groups in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, who have filed a constitutional appeal against the current regional council election districts. The core of their argument is that these districts violate the constitutional rights to vote and equality, citing stark population disparities that lead to unequal representation. The groups specifically point to the case of Gunwi County, which was incorporated into Daegu, creating what they deem a 'unconstitutional element' that the National Assembly has failed to address. The appeal emphasizes that a single vote in Gunwi County holds a disproportionately high value – over 3.37 times the value of an average vote in Daegu, and nearly four times that of a vote in the most populous district, Buk-gu District 4. This situation, they argue, perpetuates inequality among citizens. The article also references a precedent set by the Constitutional Court, which previously ruled that provincial council election districts with population variances exceeding 50% (a 3:1 ratio) are unconstitutional. The civic groups propose solutions such as increasing the number of regional council seats to lower the population threshold for districts or consolidating smaller districts into multi-member constituencies. They draw a parallel to the Jeonnam-Gwangju region, which adopted a multi-member constituency system to resolve similar issues following administrative integration. The Hankyoreh, known for its progressive stance, frames this as a critical issue of democratic fairness and equal representation, questioning why such solutions are not being pursued in Daegu and Gyeongbuk.

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The vote of one person is over four times more valuable than that of another.