Parties seek to lower age limit to run in elections

Three lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party submit the party's revision bill to the Public Official Election Act to lower the age limit for those running for parliamentary and local elections from the current 25 to 18, to the National Assembly Secretariat at the Assembly on Seoul's Yeouido, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps

By Jung Da-min

The political parties of the country's liberal and conservative blocs are seeking to lower the age limit for those wishing to run in National Assembly and local elections scheduled for next year.

Political observers say the major parties share the same goal of attracting younger voters in their 20s and 30s ahead of the upcoming presidential election in less than four months, and they believe lowering the age limits could be one way to appeal to them.

Currently those aged 25 or older are eligible to run for an Assembly seat, a head of local government position or local council membership. The parties plan to lower the age limit to 18.

On Wednesday, all 103 lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) proposed a revision to the Public Official Election Act to lower the age limit for these elections. This comes four days after party leader Lee Jun-seok promised to lower the age limit to run in elections to the same age as suffrage, which is 18.

On the same day, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) also proposed a similar revision to lower the age limit to 18. While the current Public Official Election Act states, in a case where two candidates receive the same number of votes, the older one is elected, the DPK's revision bill also aims to change this so the winner is decided by drawing lots.

The minor liberal opposition Justice Party had already proposed a similar bill in August.

Ruling Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Rep. Song Young-gil, second from right, speaks during a meeting of the party's presidential election committee held at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geun

The chances of the age limit change are high, as most parties have no objection to it and as it is widely said that winning the younger generation's support could be key in winning the presidential election that is expected to be a neck-and-neck race between the two major parties' candidates.

The PPP and the DPK agreed to discuss details of their revision bills at meetings of the National Assembly Special Committee on Political Reform.

If the revision is made within this year, the new age limit may go into effect with next year's elections. On the same day as the presidential election slated for March 9, by-elections will be held for at least five constituencies, including Jongno and Seocho-A in Seoul, Sangdang in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, Anseong in Gyeonggi Province and Jung-Nam in Daegu. Three months later on June 1, local elections will be held to select the leaders of local governments nationwide.