국토지리학회지 ISSN:1225-3766(Print) THE GEOGRAPHICAL JOURNAL OF KOREA

Rules about equal population and regional representation are key values and standards in establishing electoral districts. The election act also stipulates that both the principle of populational proportionality and representation of rural areas should be considered in defining electoral districts. However, while the rules about equal population are specified in the law, the definition of regional representation is ambiguous and there are no specific criteria for how to guarantee regional representation. Despite the findings that regional representation has been neglected or belittled as the equal population rule has been emphasized, there have been few concerns about the definition of rural areas and the right spatial units for the regional representations of rural areas. This study examines how regional representation has been dealt with in the constituency establishment after the election for the constitutional assembly. Before rapid urbanization, electoral districts accommodated equal population principles based on regional representation, but since then regional representation has existed only asa declarative and normative principle as the rules of the equal population were established as the most important rule for redistricting. The constituencies centered on the equal population have created abnormal districts. However, strengthening of regional representation of eup and myeon, which is a legal unit of rural areas, cannot be considered the same as that of areas that we ideally imagine and define.