SEOUL — The upcoming parliamentary elections in South Korea have seen a significant number of candidates registering for the available proportional representation seats.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a total of 253 individuals have signed up to compete for the 46 seats designated for proportional representation in the elections scheduled for April 10.
The seats form part of the 300-member National Assembly and are assigned to political parties based on the total votes they receive, a system that has led major parties to form satellite entities specifically for these slots. This year, 38 satellite parties have been registered.
The committee highlighted that the satellite party associated with the ruling People Power Party has introduced a slate of 35 candidates, among them a female lawyer with disabilities and a North Korean defector who has become an engineer. Meanwhile, the satellite party linked to the main opposition Democratic Party has announced its 30-candidate roster for the proportional seats, with Seo Mi-hwa, a visually impaired former member of the National Human Rights Commission, leading their list.