Information on Foreign Nationals’ Voting Rights in Korea
Posted by nouvim (at 2010/05/28 08:36)
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As most of us already know, next Wednesday, June 2nd, will be the day of local elections. So, here is some information about the voting rights of foreign residents in Korea.
In August 2005, South Korea passed the “Public Official Election Act,” a suffrage law that allows foreign residents to vote in elections alongside Korean citizens.
This law is outstanding, as well as surprising, because South Korea is the only Asian country which gives voting rights to non-citizens. Some limitations do apply. According to the “Public Official Election Act, expatriates are only allowed to vote for local candidates or join the local elections. Only Korean citizens are allowed to vote for national elections.
According to government data, there are over 1.16 million foreigners residing in Korea as of last year. There were 6, 726 foreign residents who participated in the May 2006 local election and 90% of them were overseas Chinese residents of Taiwanese background, and the rest of the voters were of Japanese, American, Chinese, German, Irish and Malaysian descent.
Early this year, the National Election Commission (NEC) announced that 11,680 expatriates will be included in a total of 38.76 million voters to cast their ballots on June 2 to choose 16 mayors and provincial governors and some 230 heads of lower-level administrative units as well as thousands of local councilors.
Foreign nationals over the age of 19, who have held permanent residency (F-5 visa) for at least three years, are qualified to participate in the local election. Also, only foreign nationals who are registered in their local voting jurisdictions can vote.
The heads of election districts create lists of eligible voters for each district, city, and region. For foreign residents who are eligible to vote, this list will be based on the address recorded in the Foreigner Registry. So, it is crucial that you have registered your address correctly in your local government office or district office to ensure that you are registered to vote in the correct district. This voters’ list will then be published online for voters to check.
If you feel that you are eligible to vote but have not been listed on the online voters list, contact your district, city or county office and show proof of eligibility to be added to the list.
Before the election, voters will receive voting guides in the mail by today, May 28, which will outline the voting process in English, Chinese, and Japanese. In order for voters to become informed about the candidates for local office, the NEC will also mail official campaign booklets to voters. These booklets will give overviews of candidates within your district - including their job, academic background, career, financial records, military service records, criminal records, tax payment and default records for the past five years.
For further information about the voting process for eligible foreign nationals please visit the National Election Commission .
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