Ballot selfies reveal voters' choices

Social media has been filled with post-voting pictures. Voters no longer have to hide their support for certain candidates in the photos they share with others after a revision to the law in February. / Yonhap

Social media ample with photos of fingers after law change

By Jung Min-ho

Millions of Koreans have exercised their right to vote and shared their post-voting selfies on social media ― this time with fingers showing who they voted for.

According to the National Election Commission, voters no longer have to hide their favorite candidate in the pictures they post on social media after a revision to the election law in February.

Relatives of presidential candidates, celebrities and many others have enjoyed the change by sharing their “ballot selfies” with finger signs on Facebook and Instagram.

As the candidates are numbered 1 to 10, the number of fingers indicates who they voted for.

Yoo Dam and Yoo Hoon-dong, the children of Bareun Party candidate Yoo Seong-min, have shared their pictures online with four fingers spread out after casting their ballots at a polling station in Seoul on May 4, indicating their support for Yoo.

Park Geun-ryeong, estranged sister of former President Park Geun-hye, has also shared a photo in which she poses with her husband with two-finger V-signs in support of Hong Joon-pyo of the Liberty Korea Party (LKP).

Rep. Keum Tae-sup of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has also joined in, with a thumbs-up sign to support Moon Jae-in, the candidate from his party, encouraging his friends to do the same.

Many stars, including singer BoA, actress Lee Si-young and comedian Yoo Jae-suk, have also shared their pictures, but without any particular hand gestures indicating their preferences, probably to avoid being swept away in political disputes.

According to the commission, voters are also allowed to say or write to encourage others to support certain candidates.

But government officials cannot do so, as the law bans them from expressing their political biases. But some officials, including lawmakers and council members, are not subject to the law.

Without exception, taking pictures inside polling booths is prohibited and violators could face prosecution.

To encourage more people to participate in the election, some restaurants, cafes and other places offer gifts for people who have their post-voting photos with them.

For example, the cafe “Traveler” at Sinchon in Seoul gives out free coffee and juice to the first 509 voting customers. The hair salon “H Style Hair” at Noryangjin in Seoul offers a 40 percent discount to customers with their post-voting pictures.

The CEO of Tourbaksa, a Seoul-based travel agency, promised to give a bonus of 500,000 won ($440) to each of his 330 employees if all of them vote.

More events are expected on May 9, the last day of voting.

This is the first presidential election in which people are allowed to vote on one of the three days ― May 4, 5 and 9. Also, polls will close two hours later on May 9, ending at 8 p.m.