{"id":2206431,"date":"2024-09-10T16:36:20","date_gmt":"2024-09-10T07:36:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2206431"},"modified":"2024-09-11T18:47:22","modified_gmt":"2024-09-11T09:47:22","slug":"south-korean-politicians-call-for-tougher-restrictions-on-foreign-voting-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/09\/south-korean-politicians-call-for-tougher-restrictions-on-foreign-voting-rights\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korean politicians call for tougher restrictions on foreign voting rights"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korea\u2019s ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon called for <\/span>stricter voting rights<\/span><\/a> 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.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n However, experts argue that politicians tend to exaggerate foreign voters\u2019 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.<\/span><\/p>\n Ballots are counted in Seoul during the 2022 presidential election, March 9, 2022 | Image: Korea Pro<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n LACK OF RECIPROCITY<\/b><\/p>\n Han emphasized that other countries do not reciprocate South Korea\u2019s voting rights for foreign nationals. Lee responded favorably to Han\u2019s remarks, expressing that he is <\/span>open<\/span><\/a> to \u201cdiscuss necessary improvements.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n The <\/span>Public Official Election Act<\/span><\/a> 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 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\u2019s policy.<\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, the number of eligible foreign voters in South Korea experienced a 19-fold increase from 2006 to 2022, according to the <\/span>National Election Commission<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n This surge, coupled with concerns over the lack of reciprocity for overseas South Korean nationals, has led politicians to reconsider the policy.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n The South Korean and Chinese flags, 2013 | Image: Blue House via Flickr<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n CHINESE INFLUENCE<\/b><\/p>\n Although framed as an issue of reciprocity, experts told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> that much of the rhetoric surrounding proposals to restrict foreign voting rights is driven by anti-Chinese sentiment.<\/span><\/p>\n It is also not a new issue. A <\/span>2020 online petition<\/span><\/a>, 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\u2019s influence over South Korea. That argument was also repeated by PPP lawmaker <\/span>Kwon Seong-dong<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n However, the Moon Jae-in administration <\/span>defended<\/span><\/a> the policy at the time, stating that allowing eligible foreign nationals to vote in local elections allowed them to participate and represent their communities.<\/span><\/p>\n Cho Jin-man, a political science professor at Duksung Women\u2019s University, noted that South Korea is becoming a more multicultural society. And much of South Korea\u2019s foreign population, including ethnic Koreans who hold foreign passports, is from China.<\/span><\/p>\n In 2022, there were about 100,000 eligible foreign voters from China, according to <\/span>NEC data<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Cho highlighted that South Korea\u2019s first-past-the-post voting system means that election results can be determined by small margins, contributing to heightened concerns about foreign voters.<\/span><\/p>\n QUESTIONABLE FOREIGN INFLUENCE<\/b><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n Wonjae Lee of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) questioned the policy\u2019s direction, suggesting that it might be driven more by populism than genuine concerns about reciprocity.<\/span><\/p>\n For instance, only <\/span>13.3%<\/span><\/a> 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.<\/span><\/p>\n 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\u2019s multicultural population grows, continuing to grant voting rights to foreign residents would support democratic inclusion.<\/span><\/p>\n