It is often said that the National Assembly should resemble the people. To reflect various opinions of the nation in national policies and operations, the diversity of the people, including age, gender, disability, and income level, should be reflected in the composition of the National Assembly. Unfortunately, the upcoming 22nd National Assembly, which will soon be inaugurated, does not resemble the diversity of the nation. There are few young people and women.

The problem that the Korean National Assembly does not resemble the people is chronic. It is clear that the ratio of young and female members of the National Assembly is at the lowest level among OECD countries. The Korean National Assembly has been dubbed “RFM” due to this fact. It means that the political arena has been dominated by “Rich 50s (Fifties) Men.”

The average age of the 22nd National Assembly is 56.3 years old, which is even older than before. Among the 300 seats, there are only 14 seats for lawmakers under the age of 40, with 10 seats from local constituencies and 4 seats from proportional representation. There are no lawmakers in their 20s. Consolation in sadness, this is an increase of one seat compared to the 21st National Assembly. However, considering that the proportion of young voters in this year’s general election was 30%, it is worrisome whether the young lawmakers, who make up only 4.7% of the upcoming National Assembly, will adequately reflect the voices of the young voters.

In a National Assembly where the principle of majority rule is strictly applied, it is the overwhelming majority of senior lawmakers in their 50s or 60s who dominate the youth-related legislation. Since they are not directly affected by youth issues, their interests or understanding of them is inevitably lower compared to young lawmakers. According to a report by Newstapa analyzing the diversity of the previous National Assembly, while the average number of youth-related legislations proposed per young lawmaker in their 20s and 30s was 15, it was only 6.3 for lawmakers in their 50s and 60s, more than a twofold difference. As a result, the passage rate of youth-related legislations reached only 2.45%, which is less than half of the overall legislations passage rate of 5.13%. Those who have a substantive understanding of youth issues are already outnumbered numerically.

In a situation where the subject and object are reversed, youth policies are regressive. During this year’s general election process, most youth-related pledges were absorbed into countermeasures to address low birth rates. It seems that the main task to resolve the younger generation’s problem is being focused on resolving the low birth rate issue. This phenomenon has already been observed in the previous National Assembly. The most frequently proposed youth-related bills in the 21st National Assembly were in the field of childbirth and childcare. However, in reality, young people are complaining about immediate unemployment, job inequality, living expenses, and housing problems. It is disheartening to think that stories are still prevalent such as the lack of jobs outside of the capital area, lack of housing for those coming up to Seoul, the exclusion of families outside of the “normality,” and the inequality of job conditions for young women. They can’t do anything but think, “It is hard to even take care of myself, so how can I raise a child?”

The neglect of the actual opinion of young people leads to the political disempowerment of the youth. They find themselves in a situation where they must rely on “politics that do not reflect their lives.” In this reality, young people become indifferent to politics, and established politicians blame the youth, saying, “These days, young people are not interested in politics.” This creates a vicious cycle where the real voices of young people are once again ignored.

Ultimately, to solve national issues, it is essential to listen to the voices of young people and to create a society where they can live well. This applies not only to the young generation but also to issues related to women and other marginalized groups in society. This is why the National Assembly must reflect the diversity of the people for the sake of “true livelihoods.” Even though the 22nd National Assembly may not resemble the people in its composition, I hope that it will move towards “politics that resemble the people,” listening to the stories of various citizens including young people.

By Yoon Da-Gyo, the Editor-in-Chief of PNU Newspaper

Translated by Ha Chae-Won