Education on election to be given to high school senior voters

By Bahk Eun-ji

The election watchdog is creating educational content on voting for students and teachers, as a recently law revision has enabled some high school seniors to vote for the first time.

A student holds a paper plane on which is written a message calling for suffrage for young people, at a rally in Seoul in October 2018. / Korea Times file

The National Assembly last month passed an election reform bill that lowered the voting age from 19 to 18, starting in the upcoming April 15 general election.

The change is expected to give voting rights to 530,000 people, and it is estimated that 60,000 of them will be high school seniors who will turn 18 before the elections, with the rest being high school graduates or freshmen at college.

The National Election Commission (NEC) announced Sunday that it will develop printed and video education material for the new voters, and distribute it to regional education offices and high schools across the country before the spring semester starts in March.

The material will be in two versions, one for students and the other for teachers.

In the material, students will learn about the meaning and role of voters, the process of ballot casting, key clauses in the Election Law, and other relevant information.

The material for teachers will include content on how to educate the new voters and election-related regulations that they need to know.

The NEC said it will also provide relevant lectures if schools' request them.

The watchdog added that besides such education, some legislative amendments may also be needed to address possible problems arising from the voting age change.

Currently teachers at public schools are designated as civil servants and they are banned from electioneering by taking advantage of their status. The NEC has said teachers at private schools should also be included in the ban. Restrictions such as banning candidates from distributing their business cards and leaflets at high schools, and prohibiting the posting of campaign banners on school buildings will be also needed, it added.

The NEC said it will discuss the issues on Jan. 15 and announce comprehensive measures about the voting age change shortly afterward.

“We will minimize possible side effects from the lowering of the voting age by closely cooperating with the relevant authorities, giving education to new voters and teachers, and strictly enforcing the law,” the NEC said in a statement.

Lowering the voting age was one of President Moon Jae-in's campaign pledges. In Korea, 19 was the age when suffrage was given, although 18-year-olds are allowed to drive and marry, and are obliged to pay taxes on income and serve in the military.

Korea was also the only country among the 35 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development where the voting age was set at 19; while the age was 18 in the rest.