On April 10, 2024, South Korea will have its parliamentary elections. Meanwhile, North Korea held its local People’s Assembly delegate elections on November 26, 2023. In particular, there was a noteworthy point in this election: the emergence of dissenting votes in North Korea for the first time in 67 years. Are North Korea’s election system and method, where both approval and dissent come out, fair? What is the significance of this election where a dissenting vote appeared? Let’s find out with reporter Song Yoon Hee through this article!
Dissenting Votes Appear for the First Time in 67 Years
On November 26, 2023, local People’s Assembly delegate elections were held in North Korea. The North Korean authorities reported that 99.63% of all eligible voters participated, with a non-voting rate of 0.37% and an abstention rate of 0.000078%.
However, the approval voting rate for the provincial (direct city) candidates was 99.91%, and the dissenting voting rate was 0.99%. The approval voting rate for town (district) candidates was 99.87%, and the dissenting voting rate was 0.13%. This is the first time North Korea has officially announced that there were dissenting votes in its media since the local People’s Committee election held in November 1956, 67 years ago. The most recent election, the local People’s Assembly delegate election held in July 2019, also showed 99.8% of voters participating. As this also showed 100% approval, the result of this election with dissenting votes is even more surprising.
Did North Korea Amend Its Election Law?
Before this election, North Korea had already amended its election law through the 27th plenary session of the 14th Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly in August 2023. The first election conducted through the revised law was the local People’s Assembly delegate election held in November. The revised law is as follows:
First, allow multiple candidates in some constituencies.
Second, the structure of the polling station should be changed.
The first is to allow competition through voting, i.e., the final candidate is determined through the choice of residents in some constituencies. The organ of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly and the cabinet of North Korea stated through the editorial that it was “an important opportunity to demonstrate the solidity and superiority of the system, which is the most popular and democratic… (omitted)… the absolute support and trust of the masses… (omitted).” They emphasized that they are trying a system that allows multiple people to compete in some constituencies for the first time.
North Korea votes by constituency. With multiple candidates allowed in some constituencies, the final candidate is selected through the residents’ votes. Therefore, candidates can meet voters and express their aspirations and will through election campaigns. Although it falls far short of a democratic election system, it is a significant change from North Korea’s election system, which used to give all approval votes to a single candidate.
The second is that the structure of the polling station has changed, which was also one of the factors that allowed for dissenting votes. In the previous voting, if you agreed with the candidate, you put the ballot (our ballot paper) directly into the ballot box without any special markings. If you disagreed, you put a line through the candidate’s name and put it in the ballot box. After the law was amended, they said the voting room had two ballot boxes for approval and dissent, and the way to put the vote in the place you want has changed.
Nevertheless, North Korea’s Unfair Election System
However, if you look at the socialist democracy content contained in the North Korean constitution, you can see that free elections are fundamentally problematic.
1. All state institutions are organized and operated on the principle of democratic centralism
Organize and operate.
2. The Supreme People’s Assembly and other sovereign institutions at each level are elected by secret ballot on the principle of general, equal, direct, and hidden.
3. All activities are conducted under the leadership of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
4. The state upholds the class line and strengthens the dictatorship of the people’s democracy to protect the people’s sovereignty and socialist system. Centralized democracy, the leadership of the Workers’ Party of Korea, the class line, and the dictatorship of the people’s democracy are lines that are against democracy.
North Korea has incorporated the four principles of elections, including general, equal, direct, and secret elections, into its constitution. Still, it does not adhere to the principle of secret voting. Because it is conducted in an unsealed space where others can watch the polling station, it is no different from an open vote. Multiple candidates are allowed, and a ballot box for pros and cons has also been introduced, but it is difficult to say that the principle of secret voting is adhered to by just voting in a large ballot box.
Also, before voting, they compare citizen cards and public cards and review the resident registration, indicating efforts to strengthen internal control in the election process. The allowance of multiple candidates is just a feature of the preliminary election, and one person conducts the final vote for the candidate, so it cannot be seen as a fair election.
The significance of this North Korean election
With the amendment to the election law and the appearance of opposition votes in North Korea, what is the significance of this election?
In the past North Korean elections, the likelihood of a person with a different political view from the authorities being elected was 0%. Therefore, this amendment to North Korea’s election law will be a groundbreaking change. Unlike the past elections, which were all single candidates with only one ballot box, this election was significant because it gave the residents a minimum choice. The amendment of the election law aims to manage public sentiment by granting limited voting rights. Meanwhile, North Korea has been unable to avoid international criticism of the election system and various issues. It can also be interpreted as having the appearance of partially free elections to appear to the international community.
Today, we have looked at the revised election method in North Korea with you. What do you think about North Korea’s pre- and post-revision election methods? What impact will the opposition vote for the first time in 67 years have on North Korea? Is North Korea’s election method fair? I will leave you with these three questions related to the article, and I will see you next time with another informative article. Thank you.
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