Koreans Abroad to Vote in Primary

By Lee Tae-hoon
Staff Reporter

Absentee voters living abroad will be allowed to participate in the selection of the presidential candidate of the governing Grand National Party (GNP), senior party officials said Monday.

"In accordance with the passage of a bill that grants suffrage to Korean nationals residing overseas, the GNP decided Sunday to include them in the electoral roll of the party's presidential primary," Rep. Jeong Tae-keun of the GNP said.

As for the percentage of overseas Koreans to take part in the primary, the GNP plans to conduct further deliberations, he said.

In the upcoming GNP primary, the votes of senior and rank-and-file party members will count 20 percent and 30 percent, respectively; and the votes of general public and opinion poll results will count 30 and 20 percent, respectively.

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) will decide whether to permit overseas Koreans to cast votes in the presidential primary prior to its convention slated for July next year, according to a party official.

"We have reached the consensus that absentee voters abroad should be treated like any other voters," the official said. "The DP has yet to confirm the rules of its upcoming presidential primary, but I'm optimistic that absentee voters abroad will be able to partake in the presidential candidate selection process."

The DP is mulling over the details, such as whether to allow them to vote online or by mail, the official said.

In February, the National Assembly passed a bill permitting Korean nationals living abroad to cast ballots in presidential elections and the proportional representation section of general elections starting in 2012.

Roughly 2.5 million Korean nationals abroad over the age of 19 will be able to take part in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.

Last Monday, Rep. An Kyung-ryul of the GNP submitted a bill that would significantly increase the voter turnout of overseas Koreans.

Under the proposal, the registration period would be extended from the current 60 to 150 days ahead of the voting date to 60 to 365 days; absentee voters would be allowed to cast ballots by air mail; and additional polling stations would be set up abroad.

Without such changes, the majority of overseas Koreans will have to travel several hours and some will have to cross borders two times in order to register and cast a ballot.

Currently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recognizes only 160 government buildings as polling stations among 175 countries with a Korean population.

leeth@koreatimes.co.kr

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