Naturalized Koreans take part in election campaign

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Fri, September 29, 2023 | 09:49

Politics

Naturalized Koreans take part in election campaign

Posted : 2017-05-01 16:00

Updated : 2017-05-02 14:30

Kim Yong-seon, center, Chinese who became a nationalized Korean, calls for naturalized Koreans' active participation in the election during his group's campaign for the Democratic Party of Korea candidate Moon Jae-in in Daerim-dong, Seoul, Sunday. / Korea Times photo by Choi Ha-young

By Choi Ha-young

A presidential election is an important occasion for all Koreans as they can exercise their right to select a new leader whose policies will influence their lives.

In that sense, it is also important and special for naturalized Koreans, who can do the same.

"I am a Korean too," said Lee Rina, 42, a Russian who now has Korean citizenship. "I came here to ensure a better future for my children."

She was participating in campaigning Sunday as a member of the "Rainbow Campaign Team," organized by the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) to support its candidate Moon Jae-in with 20 naturalized Koreans from 10 countries as its members. This is the first-ever attempt to organize a multi-racial campaign team in election history here.

Lee arrived here 18 years ago as a student in the start of the nation's education open-door policy. Last winter, she came from Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, to Seoul, to participate in the candlelit rally to call for former President Park Geun-hye to step down because of the corruption scandal.

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"I've followed the news about Park's corruption and influence-peddling scandal. We naturalized Koreans actively shared news articles via social media," she said. As a mother of three children, she advocates an increase of the minimum wage and peace between the two Koreas.

"However, it takes longer for immigrants to decide who to cast their votes for because of the difficult words about domestic politics," Lee added.

Ethnic Korean-Chinese are in the same boat. Around 700,000 are residing here and another 100,000 obtained Korean citizenship, but they rarely exercise their rights due to a weak sense of suffrage.

"We should now raise our voices to be confident citizens," Kim Yong-seon, 40, told residents of Daerim-dong, Seoul's so-called Chinatown, during the campaign. "How can we assert our rights without participation? Please cast your ballots this time."

Kim, who came from Yanji like many other ethnic Korean-Chinese, arrived in Korea in 2004 to study for his PhD. He pointed out the absence of support for the ethnic group unlike other multicultural families and overseas Koreans, despite their role of bridging Korea with China.

"Before obtaining Korean nationality, my family couldn't receive any benefits from the Korean government including childcare for my son," he said. "If we stay silent, we will remain unseen and unheard."

When Jean Maturan, 47, from the Philippines stepped up to a campaign platform in Hyehwa-dong, Seoul, where a Philippine town is located, people gathered around her. In Tagalog, her native language, she talked about the need to set up a separate government body dealing with immigration issues. She also called for an equal society without discrimination.

As a citizen interested in politics, she also attended anti-Park rallies last year. "Among Moon's pledges, I like support for childbirth and childrearing," she said.

"We found that many of the multi-racial population and immigrants are eager to speak out about their political opinions, and this is in line with the DPK's stance to embrace diverse demands," Kang Sin-sung, chief of the campaign team, said.

Since last Thursday, the team has canvassed for support in over 10 cities across the nation. "While campaigning, I've learned the necessity of education about cultural diversity for Koreans to accept immigrants. We hope to make gradual changes with this movement," Kang said.

hayoung.choi@ktimes.com