Human Rights Commission Recommends Legal and Institutional Improvements to Further Enhance Youth Political Participation Rights

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The National Human Rights Commission on the 18th recommended the Minister of the Interior and Safety and the Chairperson of the National Election Commission to improve the age criteria related to the prohibition of party membership and election campaigning, as well as local autonomy systems.

It also decided to express opinions to the Speaker of the National Assembly for the prompt passage of bills promoting youth political participation rights.

The Human Rights Commission welcomed the passage of the Public Official Election Act amendment bill on the 31st of last month, which lowered the candidacy age for National Assembly and local elections from 25 to 18 years old, followed by the passage of the Political Parties Act amendment bill on the 11th, which lowered the party membership age to 16 years old.

However, the Commission pointed out that additional improvements are needed to promote the basic political rights of youth, such as lowering or removing the age limit for election campaigning prohibition, lowering age criteria related to local autonomy systems like resident referendums and recalls, allowing mock voting, and developing educational guidelines and precautions for conducting mock voting. It urged the National Assembly and related agencies to make active efforts.

The Human Rights Commission stated, "We hope that through continued efforts to promote the political participation rights of youth in our society, young people will be able to actively participate in community decision-making that affects them as sovereign citizens of a democratic society."