'I firmly believe my vote matters'

Son Young-su

By Lee Kyung-min

Son Young-su, 30, who is staying in Perth, Australia, on a working-holiday visa, said flying some seven hours to Sydney to cast his ballot for the April 13 general election will contribute to changing the course of history.

”My friends told me not to spend my time and energy in doing what is virtually considered meaningless, but I firmly believe that my vote matters,” he said.

Given his monthly income is about $A2,000, spending a fifth of it, or $A400 (350,000 won), on a plane ticket was not an easy decision, but he thinks it is well worth it.

“Spending my mornings loading and unloading items at a warehouse, and doing dishes at a restaurant in the afternoon, my life in a foreign country is hard and the work is demanding,” he said. “But I don’t feel I wasted my hard-earned money. I believe I spent it on something I believe in.”

Giving up on voting and staying indifferent to life is a dangerous attitude, he said.

“Many people, especially those who are young, show great antipathy, or apathy, towards politics,” he said. “But I think that not voting is letting the lawmakers off the hook, instead of holding them accountable for not delivering their campaign pledges. The more we feel betrayed and disappointed, the more important it is for us to vote.”

Voting our lawmakers in or out of office is the most effective and important way to change society, he said.

“They make laws that govern our lives. Not voting means giving up on our nation, which directly affects our everyday life. I think we should encourage people to take more interest in politics and be more engaging about the world around us.”

He was a job seeker in Korea, and said he will vote in every election after returning home.

“I know it sounds boring, but I believe that casting your vote is a right and a privilege as a citizen in a democratic country. I did what I thought was necessary and I believe that my vote counts.”

Election officials said Son’s act is all the more commendable amid the prevalent apathy and antipathy to politics, which many critics say followed the increasing factional feud among lawmakers seeking to prioritize their chances of winning parliamentary seats, over improving people’s lives.

According to the National Election Commission, 63,797 people, or only 3.2 percent of some 1.98 million eligible voters abroad, will cast their ballots in 113 countries for the general election between March 30 and next Tuesday, April 12.

The number of polling stations in 113 countries reached 198 this year, up from 158 in 107 nations for the 2012 general election.

The overseas voting rate was 2.5 percent for the general election in April 2012 and 7.1 percent for the presidential election in December of that year.