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,