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

This study reconstructs the evolution of population criteria and statistics in the delineation of electoral districts for the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, and analyzes both the process by which the resident registration population has effectively functioned as the sole standard and the limitations thereof. Following the Constitutional Court’s rulings since 1995, the permissible inter-district population deviation has been progressively reduced, strengthening the equality of the vote while, at the same time, hollowing out non-demographic considerations, as evidenced by abnormal administrative boundary splits and the emergence of super-large electoral districts. These institutional shifts in redistricting should be understood within the historical context of transformations in national territorial structure and advances in demographic statistics. While the current resident registration population standard offers many advantages, discrepancies between the reference dates for redistricting and for the electoral roll, as well as debates over the inclusion of minors, indicate that using total population as the basis for districting can distort assessments of voter composition and political representation. Accordingly, this study emphasizes that, while retaining the resident registration population as the foundation, spatio-temporal indicators such as daytime and floating populations, commuting-to-work/school patterns, and transportation accessibility should be considered in redistricting. Commuting data from the census, regional employment surveys, and recent statistics on daily-life populations capture actual activity spaces and functional living areas, thereby complementing evaluations of regional representativeness. The study does not propose replacing the currently applied resident registration total population; rather, it advances demographic concepts that can operationalize and reflect regional representativeness, and underscores the need for diverse population-geographic research and review to anticipate potential future changes in electoral systems, including modifications to redistricting methods.