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🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

PPP to penalize 3+ term incumbents with vote deductions

From Hankyoreh · (4m ago) Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The People Power Party (PPP) in South Korea will penalize incumbent lawmakers with 3+ terms in the same constituency by deducting up to 15% from their primary votes.
  • This measure aims to encourage new talent and promote generational change within the party.
  • Candidates with multiple consecutive losses in the same district will also face deductions, while new, young, female, and disabled candidates will receive preferential points.

In a significant move to inject new blood into its ranks, South Korea's People Power Party (PPP) has announced a new policy that will impose penalties on long-serving incumbent lawmakers. The party's nomination management committee has decided to deduct up to 15% from the primary vote scores of those who have served three or more terms in the same electoral district. This decision, revealed by committee chairman Park Deuk-hyum, is a clear signal that the party is prioritizing fresh faces and a departure from entrenched political careers.

The rationale behind this policy is to foster a more dynamic political landscape and provide opportunities for new candidates, particularly younger ones, to enter the National Assembly. The deductions are tiered: 15% for a three-way race and 10% for a two-way contest. Furthermore, candidates who have repeatedly lost in the same constituency, indicating a lack of competitiveness, will face even steeper deductions of 30% and 20% respectively. This stringent approach aims to ensure that only viable and competitive candidates advance through the nomination process.

Lawmakers who have served three or more terms in the same district will have their primary vote score deducted by 15% in a two-way race and 10% in a race with three or more candidates.

— Park Deuk-hyumChairman of the People Power Party's nomination management committee, explaining the new penalty for long-serving incumbents.

Conversely, the PPP is also implementing a system of preferential points to encourage new entrants. Young, new candidates can receive up to 15 additional points in a two-way race, while new female candidates and new candidates with disabilities will be granted an additional 10 points. This dual approach—penalizing incumbents and rewarding newcomers—reflects a strategic effort to reshape the party's image and appeal to a broader electorate. The party also confirmed that nominations for the remaining nine constituencies out of fourteen where by-elections are expected will be finalized by early next month, signaling a swift move towards candidate selection.

We are looking for candidates who can win.

— Park Deuk-hyumResponding to a question about the potential nomination of former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min for the Hanam-gap by-election.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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