The Mixed-Member Majoritarian System as a Policy Solution: An Evaluation of Its Political Effect in Korea

Headnote

This study examines the function and effect of the mixed-member majoritarian (MMM) electoral system in Korea. The current electoral system was adopted in 2004, there having been three general elections since. When adopted, the new MMM system was expected to resolve several political problems by increasing proportionality and minority representation, alleviating regionalism and increasing voter turnout. However, in a similar vein with the previous literature, this paper found that the current system did not function as the reformers intended because the number of PR seats was too small. We also examined two institutional alternatives, the Japanese revival match system and the German mixed member proportional representation (MMP) system, for possible future reform. The German MMP system would bring about greatly improved political outcomes.

Key Words: mixed-member majoritarian (MMM) system; mixedmember proportional (MMP) system; two-ballot system; electoral regionalism in Korea; electoral reform

I. Introduction

For the last couple of decades, electoral reform around the world has moved toward more modest and conciliating choices of mixing majoritarian and proportional systems. These reforms required sophisticated considerations on their mechanical functions as well as strategic political environments. From the early Third Wave democracies like Spain to the former communist countries like Hungary and Russia, and to the East Asian countries like Korea and Taiwan, new democracies went through numerous reforms and adopted certain types of mixed systems to varying degrees. Advanced democracies like Japan and New Zealand also changed their decades-long or even century-old systems to hybrid electoral systems considering both proportionality and direct constituency representation. These mixedmember electoral systems have become a typical mode in electoral reforms(Shugart and Wattenberg, 2001: 1-9).1

South Korea has also hopped on to this bandwagon by moving to a mixed system. Through several different phases over a number of decades,2 the current mixed-member majoritarian (MMM hereafter) system with two-ballots was first adopted for the National Assembly Election in 2004. Through the three consecutive legislative elections since then, Korean voters have become accustomed to the new electoral system. Sartori once pointed out that "not only are electoral systems the most manipulative instrument of politics; they also shape the party system and affect the spectrum of representation" (Sartori, 1976: ix). Like any institutional reform, the introduction of the present MMM system has been expected...