Recent National Assembly elections laid bare both the strengths and weaknesses of South Korean democracy. Korea proved once again to be one of most dynamic democracies in the world, but unless both lawmakers and citizens confront shortcomings in the election rules and political parties, Korea’s first-world economy will be dragged down by third-world politics. Voters in Seoul and surrounding areas are diverse and increasingly sophisticated, but election returns in the provinces are a throwback to the Three Kingdoms period – regionalism still reigns.