South Korea: Why Democratic Party's Women-Only Districts in Gwangju Draw Scrutiny

Article here. Excerpt:

'The Democratic Party of Korea's Gwangju Metropolitan City chapter has finalized candidate matchups for the June 3 local council elections, but several women-designated districts are drawing controversy over candidates with troubled records.

According to the Gwangju chapter on Sunday, the party designated four city council electoral districts as women-only strategic zones to expand female political participation.

The system was introduced to increase opportunities for women politicians to advance in local councils and enhance political diversity.

However, controversy has erupted in Gwangsan District No. 5, where former Gwangju City Council member Kim Gwang-ran — who sparked outrage by concealing a drunk driving incident for an extended period — has filed her candidacy. When the matter came to light, the council held an expulsion vote, and Kim received a six-month suspension from council attendance and party positions.'