This paper analyzes how democratization has affected the dynamics of candidate selection in South Korea. After democratization in the late 1980s, it was expected that intra-party democracy would follow. In response to increasing public demand, the major parties adopted primary systems in the early 2000s. Nonetheless, most candidates for the legislature are still nominated by a small number of central party elites without additional ballots in the local branches. To explain the persistence of such exclusive, centralized features of candidate selection, I highlight the limited impact democratization has had on the political environment in which the parties operate. More specifically, since the 1987 democratization process resulted in a compromise agreement established by a small number of party leaders, South Korea retained much of the political legacy from authoritarian times, such as an electoral system advantageous to the major parties and legal provisions restricting electoral campaigns, party activities, and political participation. The continuation of these political institutions makes radical candidate selection reform highly unlikely as the party elites have no incentive to expand and decentralize the selection process. Without significant changes to the political institutions at the national level, the dominance of the central party elite over the final outcome of candidate selection looks likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

中文翻译：

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韩国的候选人选拔改革：尽管有包容性规则，但排他性做法的持续存在

本文分析了民主化如何影响韩国候选人选择的动态。在 1980 年代后期民主化之后，预计党内民主将随之而来。为了应对日益增长的公众需求，主要政党在 2000 年代初期采用了初级系统。尽管如此，立法机关的大多数候选人仍然由少数中央党内精英提名，没有在地方分支机构进行额外投票。为了解释这种排他性的、集中的候选人选择特征的持续存在，我强调了民主化对政党运作的政治环境的有限影响。更具体地说，由于 1987 年的民主化进程导致少数党内领导人达成妥协协议，韩国保留了威权时代的许多政治遗产，例如有利于主要政党的选举制度以及限制选举活动、政党活动和政治参与的法律规定。这些政治制度的延续使得激进的候选人选拔改革极不可能进行，因为党的精英没有动力扩大和分散选拔过程。如果国家层面的政治制度不发生重大变化，在可预见的未来，中央党派精英对候选人遴选最终结果的主导地位可能会继续存在。这些政治制度的延续使得激进的候选人选拔改革极不可能进行，因为党的精英没有动力扩大和分散选拔过程。如果国家层面的政治制度不发生重大变化，在可预见的未来，中央党派精英对候选人遴选最终结果的主导地位可能会继续存在。这些政治制度的延续使得激进的候选人选拔改革极不可能进行，因为党的精英没有动力扩大和分散选拔过程。如果国家层面的政治制度不发生重大变化，在可预见的未来，中央党派精英对候选人遴选最终结果的主导地位可能会继续存在。