From the 23rd to 26th, a series of meetings with overseas Korean students scheduled
[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Behind Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party's visit to the United States, lies a hidden puzzle related to the upcoming presidential election next year. In addition to coordinating with the Joe Biden administration on North Korea policy, Lee is focusing on expanding overseas Korean voting rights.
On the 24th, a People Power Party official explained, "Lee's schedule in the U.S. includes many meetings with overseas Koreans besides meetings with diplomatic and security officials," adding, "Through this schedule, there is an intention not only to encourage higher voter turnout in next year's presidential election but also to create momentum for seeking institutional improvements."
Looking at Lee's U.S. schedule, there are consecutive meetings such as the Overseas Korean Policy Meeting in Washington DC on the 22nd, the International Student Policy Meeting and the Washington-based North Korean Defector Meeting on the 23rd, the Overseas Korean Policy Meeting in New York on the 24th, the International Student Policy Meeting in New York and the Overseas Korean Policy Meeting in LA on the 25th, and the Overseas Korean Media Meeting on the 26th.
If next year's presidential election turns out to be close, the overseas Korean vote could become a critical variable. Typically, about 100,000 people participate in overseas voting. However, the total number of overseas Korean eligible voters is estimated to be around 2.2 million. This is a sufficiently large number to potentially change the election outcome depending on voter turnout. The People Power Party is also exploring ways to increase voter turnout, such as postal voting. Currently, many voters have to travel long distances to vote at overseas diplomatic missions, but if postal voting is implemented, it is expected to increase participation among elderly voters in their 60s and 70s.
In July, Lee also held an event called "A Reasonable Story" with international students. At that time, in his opening remarks, Lee stated, "I hoped that overseas Korean international students would exercise their voting rights in next year's presidential election."
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