South Korea’s ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon called for stricter voting rights for foreign nationals, particularly Chinese citizens. The proposed changes aim to extend residency requirements and limit the voting rights of foreign residents whose home countries do not offer similar rights to South Koreans.

A law enacted in 2005 has permitted foreign permanent residents to vote after three years of residency, but the policy has faced renewed scrutiny following a sharp increase in eligible foreign voters, from 6,726 in 2006 to 127,623 in 2022.

Although the opposition Democratic Party has largely remained silent on the issue, party leader Lee Jae-myung recently signaled a possible alignment with Han, raising the prospect of a rare bipartisan agreement.

However, experts argue that politicians tend to exaggerate foreign voters’ influence, citing low voter turnout among those eligible. They caution that imposing further restrictions on voting rights could impede efforts to build a more inclusive society by neglecting the broader foreign population.

Ballots are counted in Seoul during the 2022 presidential election, March 9, 2022 | Image: Korea Pro

LACK OF RECIPROCITY

Han emphasized that other countries do not reciprocate South Korea’s voting rights for foreign nationals. Lee responded favorably to Han’s remarks, expressing that he is open to “discuss necessary improvements.”

Globally, policies vary. For instance, some U.S. localities allow non-citizens to vote in local elections, while Chile and Uruguay permit foreigners to vote in national elections after five years of residency.

The Public Official Election Act states that foreign permanent residents aged 18 and older can vote in local elections, but not national ones, after three years of residency, with eligibility based on their taxpayer status and community involvement. 

The amendment initially sought to encourage reciprocal voting rights for ethnic Koreans residing in Japan. However, nearly two decades later, neither Japan nor China has yet to offer similar rights, prompting lawmakers to question the continued rationale for South Korea’s policy.

Meanwhile, the number of eligible foreign voters in South Korea experienced a 19-fold increase from 2006 to 2022, according to the National Election Commission.

This surge, coupled with concerns over the lack of reciprocity for overseas South Korean nationals, has led politicians to reconsider the policy.

Following the meeting between Han and Lee on Sept. 1, former PPP leader Kim Gi-hyeon proposed amending the law to extend the residency requirement for foreign permanent residents from three to five years and introduce a reciprocity clause.

The South Korean and Chinese flags, 2013 | Image: Blue House via Flickr

CHINESE INFLUENCE

Although framed as an issue of reciprocity, experts told Korea Pro that much of the rhetoric surrounding proposals to restrict foreign voting rights is driven by anti-Chinese sentiment.

It is also not a new issue. A 2020 online petition, which garnered more than 200,000 signatures, called for revoking local election voting rights for Chinese permanent residents, expressing concerns that it would increase China’s influence over South Korea. That argument was also repeated by PPP lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong.

However, the Moon Jae-in administration defended the policy at the time, stating that allowing eligible foreign nationals to vote in local elections allowed them to participate and represent their communities.

Cho Jin-man, a political science professor at Duksung Women’s University, noted that South Korea is becoming a more multicultural society. And much of South Korea’s foreign population, including ethnic Koreans who hold foreign passports, is from China.

In 2022, there were about 100,000 eligible foreign voters from China, according to NEC data.

Cho highlighted that South Korea’s first-past-the-post voting system means that election results can be determined by small margins, contributing to heightened concerns about foreign voters.

QUESTIONABLE FOREIGN INFLUENCE

However, critics argue that the focus on Chinese voters in South Korean elections is overstated, particularly given the low turnout among foreign voters. They warn that further restrictions on voting rights may hinder efforts to foster a more inclusive society.

Wonjae Lee of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) questioned the policy’s direction, suggesting that it might be driven more by populism than genuine concerns about reciprocity.

For instance, only 13.3% of eligible foreign voters, or less than 17,000 people, cast their ballots in the 2022 local elections. According to Lee, foreign voters are too numerically small and dispersed to be able to significantly affect election outcomes.

Experts also stressed that while achieving reciprocity between nations should be a long-term goal, policymakers must not disregard the rights of residents. Political analysts have noted that as South Korea’s multicultural population grows, continuing to grant voting rights to foreign residents would support democratic inclusion.

A 2021 report from the Korea Institute of Public Administration found that over 30 countries allow immigrant residents to vote. The report highlighted how political participation positively influences immigrants’ sense of identity and belonging in their host countries.

Ballot boxes are moved to a counting center after the 2022 Presidential election. | Image: Korea Pro

PERMANENT RESIDENCY CHALLENGES

Some long-term foreign residents have expressed frustration with South Korea’s permanent residency application process, arguing that the effort involved may not be justified by the limited benefits, such as fewer visa renewals and the ability to vote in local elections.

Although the number of foreign voters in local elections has grown, obtaining permanent residency in South Korea remains challenging.

Foreign nationals must meet one of 27 government-set eligibility criteria to qualify. The most common group, foreign nationals of Korean descent (F-5-7 visa holders), must submit various documents, including proof of completing a Korean immigration eligibility course and evidence that their income exceeds the previous year’s per capita gross national income.

However, some experts suggest that maintaining the current system could allow the government and citizens to have more time to discuss foreign voting rights seriously.

Cho from Duksung Women’s University cautioned against rushing to alter voting rights policies, warning that hasty adjustments could lead to unintended consequences.

“Instead of implementing abrupt changes driven by narratives targeting specific groups, a more measured approach is needed,” Cho said, emphasizing the need for careful consideration before any policy adjustments.

“This isn’t just about making it harder to vote,” Lee of KAIST told Korea Pro.

“South Korea’s racial and national composition is set to change significantly. The key is to manage that change by creating a system that suits and benefits the country’s evolving foreign population,” Lee added.

Edited by John Lee