South Korean party reconsiders quadrupled candidate fees after criticism

The Democratic Party of Korea faces internal criticism over a significant increase in candidate deposit fees for its upcoming national convention. Deposits for those seeking to become party leader or a member of the supreme council have quadrupled since the previous election, raising concerns about accessibility for new and younger politicians.

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There are opinions that the deposit for young candidates is excessively high, so we decided to discuss the matter at a full meeting on the 21st.

Party leader candidate hopefuls and supreme council candidates now face a deposit of 20 million won for the preliminary nomination, with further payments required for the main nomination. This contrasts sharply with the 15 million won for party leader and 5 million won for supreme council candidates in 2024. While the party cites increased election costs due to a rise in party membership, aspiring candidates argue the higher fees create a barrier to political participation.

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Considering the difficulties faced by young candidates and the need for policy considerations, I suggest considering returning the deposit fees to their previous levels.

Younger candidates, in particular, have voiced strong opposition. Jung Min-cheol, a 25-year-old candidate for the supreme council, lamented the difficulty for non-incumbent youth candidates to even open fundraising accounts. Kim Hyung-nam, another supreme council candidate, criticized the lack of clear explanation for the fourfold increase. Even President Lee Jae-myung weighed in, suggesting the party consider returning the fees to previous levels to support younger politicians.

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The threshold for political participation has been raised.

The party's Central Election Management Committee has scheduled a meeting for July 21 to discuss the issue. The increased fees are attributed by the party to rising election expenses associated with a growing number of party members. However, candidates like Jung and Kim argue that this move makes it harder for new voices to enter politics. Party leader candidates Kim Min-seok and Song Young-gil also criticized the hike, questioning how a party raising youth deposits can claim to be a youth-focused party.

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Our party is inclusive, not exclusive. Our party's pattern is indeed different.