Suwon's Gwonseon District Division Confirmed; Yongin and Hwaseong Also Set for Division

The division of Suwon's Gwonseon electoral district is becoming certain.

The National Assembly Electoral District Delimitation Committee (Chairman Park Byung-seop) decided on the 13th to adopt multiple proposals to expand the current National Assembly regional constituencies to either two or four additional districts.

The Electoral District Delimitation Committee held a meeting at the National Assembly on the 13th and decided to adopt multiple proposals for expanding to four additional districts and two additional districts. Regardless of which plan is adopted, Suwon's Gwonseon district meets the conditions for division.

Plan 1 involves increasing the total number of lawmakers to 301 (245 regional seats, 56 proportional representation seats), with division occurring in five areas: Suwon's Gwonseon district, Yongin in Gyeonggi Province, Hwaseong in Gyeonggi Province, Yeoju and Icheon in Gyeonggi Province, and Gwangsan district in Gwangju. Additionally, there is one additional division through adjustment of population upper and lower limits (Paju in Gyeonggi Province), three mergers (Nam district in Busan, Dalseo district in Daegu, Yeosu in South Jeolla Province), and one consolidation/abolition (either Hampyeong in South Jeolla Province or one of Gangjin or Wando).

Plan 2 increases the total number of lawmakers to 303 (247 regional seats, 56 proportional representation seats), with division and merger areas identical to Plan 1. However, through adjustment of population upper and lower limits, one additional division at Giheung district in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, has been added among two additional proposed divisions.

Therefore, five areas designated for division, including Suwon's Gwonseon district, match in both proposals, making the division certain during the deliberations of the National Assembly Political Relations Act Special Committee. Additionally, as the total number of lawmakers falls between 301 and 303, the likelihood of ushering in the first 300-member era of the National Assembly has increased.

Meanwhile, the Delimitation Committee will prepare a report on the 15th and submit it to the Speaker of the National Assembly, and the National Assembly Political Relations Act Special Committee plans to proceed with the electoral district delimitation work based on the committee's proposal.