Naturalized voters express diverse wishes

By Lee Tae-hoon

Foreign-born voters are playing a bigger role in Korean politics as the number of naturalized citizens passed the 115,000 mark last year and the country is showing a willingness to embrace multiculturalism.

Korea saw Philippine-born Jasmine Lee become a lawmaker of the ruling Saenuri Party early this year and is eager to bring in highly talented foreigners with the introduction of dual citizenship.

Prof. Roy Alok Kumar, who became the 100,000th foreigner to receive Korean citizenship in 2011, said in an interview that he will cast a vote for a presidential candidate who can make a paradigm shift