On Parties' Terms: Gender Quota Politics in South Korea's Mixed Electoral System

South Korea is among the many democracies that have adopted a legal gender quota and seen a subsequent increase in the number of female politicians. While this increase is especially significant in the context of South Korea's deeply patriarchal society, the quota is imposed on the dual structure of the country's legislative politics. Limited to the murkier, patronage-driven arena of party lists, the quota does little to help women enter the arena of single-member district contests in which politicians must compete against one another and campaign for votes. In this context, the quota produces more female legislators without directly enhancing opportunities for participating in a more competitive political zone. This article documents this effect of the quota, and offers an explanation for why such a limited quota was adopted. Evidence from careers spanning both types of races indicates an indirect effect of the quota that begins to offset these limits: places allocated by the quota have emerged as a path into single-member districts. This study adds to understandings of the diversity of gender quota politics worldwide.