Kim Min-seok Pushes to Ease Negotiation Group Requirements from 20 to 15 Seats
Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok said on the 16th that he would push to lower the requirements for forming a National Assembly negotiation group (a caucus of 20 or more seats that receives privileges such as priority in bill review) to 15 seats. Speaking on the party's YouTube channel 'Democratic Party TV' that day, Kim said, "We have reached the stage where we must realize a coalition of progressive forces," adding, "I believe each progressive party also sees 15 seats as a realistic and acceptable threshold." The Cho Kuk Innovation Party countered that "returning to 10 seats is common sense."
Behind this calculation lies the current distribution of Assembly seats. In the 22nd National Assembly, the Cho Kuk Innovation Party holds 12 seats, the Progressive Party 4, and the Basic Income Party and Social Democratic Party one seat each. Combining all progressive parties' seats yields 15.
Kim also put forward several other proposals beyond easing the negotiation group requirements. He suggested a total of four measures, saying, "We will discuss what would be more rational regarding the current single-member district system and semi-proportional representation system," along with the introduction of a runoff election for president and 'consolidation of competitiveness' during elections. He said, "I have met with each party and gained a fair degree of consensus, so I plan to formally raise these discussions."
The Cho Kuk Innovation Party issued a statement that day saying, "We have had no official or unofficial contact with the Democratic Party leadership regarding political reform, coalition, or integration. The Democratic Party has never made such a proposal." The party emphasized, "The current 20-seat requirement is a remnant of the Yusin regime, created during the Park Chung-hee administration to raise the barrier for negotiation groups," adding that "returning to the pre-Yusin 10-seat threshold is common sense and the natural course." The Innovation Party has long argued for easing the threshold to 10 seats as its official party position.
A negotiation group is a system in which parties holding a certain number of seats serve as negotiation channels within the Assembly for its efficient operation. However, since the requirement was raised to '20 seats' in 1973 and has remained unchanged since, minor parties that struggle to form negotiation groups have consistently argued for easing it. The Democratic Party and four opposition parties issued a joint declaration ahead of last year's presidential election pledging to pursue 'easing negotiation group requirements immediately after the election and introducing a runoff system.'
