By Kim Young-jin
Staff reporter
A voter registration drive for U.S. citizens will be held on Saturday in Itaewon, Seoul, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the parking lot near Gecco’s Bar and Grill.
Organized by Democrats Abroad Republic of Korea (DA-ROK), the event aims to encourage voter participation and civic engagement among expats.
“Living overseas doesn’t mean you don’t have a say in what happens in your community back home,” Albert Kang, chairman of DA-ROK, said. “We have very involved and concerned expats living in South Korea and by providing this service to the expat community, we are excited to assist in bridging the gap of the opportunity to stay involved.”
The event comes less than four months ahead of an important mid-term election slated for Nov. 2.
In the polls, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 36 of the 100 in the Senate will be up for grabs in what is seen as a referendum on the first two years of the Barack Obama administration.
At stake is control of the House, an important issue as the nation continues to tackle contentious domestic issues such as a budget deficit, immigration reform, health care, and, of course, the economy.
DA-ROK is an official country committee of Democrats Abroad, which aims to keep Americans abroad informed of their rights and help them participate in the U.S. political process.
The event will be held in the parking lot in front of Gecko’s, which is accessible from exit 1 of Itaewon Station.