DPK, liberal lawmakers propose bill allowing overseas Koreans to vote electronically
Rep. Kim Young-ho of the ruling Democratic Party speaks at the National Assembly in Seoul, Sept. 14. Yonhap
A bill allowing Koreans living overseas to vote electronically has been proposed by ruling and minor party lawmakers, parliamentary records showed Tuesday, in a move aimed at improving voting accessibility.
The proposed revision to the Public Official Election Act would allow voters to cast their ballots in presidential and parliamentary elections without having to visit designated polling stations, according to the National Assembly's online bill information system.
The bill, led by Rep. Kim Young-ho of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), was proposed Friday, co-sponsored by 11 other DPK lawmakers and Rep. Kim Joon-hyung of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party.
By introducing an electronic voting system operated by the National Election Commission (NEC), the bill seeks to address challenges faced by Koreans living far from overseas polling stations.
The bill also includes measures to protect voter privacy and prevent unauthorized access to voting records amid concerns over hacking and proxy voting.
Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, leader of the main opposition People Power Party, has raised questions over the reliability of electronic voting, pointing out the unprecedented shortage of ballots reported during the June 3 local elections.
"How can they propose electronic voting when we cannot even trust votes cast at polling stations? Is it in the DPK's genes to go against the public opinion?" Jang wrote in a Facebook post.
A special counsel team, launched in early September, has been investigating various suspected irregularities involving the NEC to look mainly into what led to the ballot shortages.