"Are They Asking Us to Vote or Just Making It Difficult?"... President Lee Criticizes Overseas Voting System

President Lee Jae-myung at the World Korean Day Ceremony on October 2
"Measures to Ensure Citizens Can Exercise Sovereignty Nearby"
Cheers and Applause as He Pledges to Improve the Voting System

President Lee Jae-myung is delivering a commemorative speech at the 19th World Korean Day ceremony held at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul Hotel in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd. Photo by Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung pledged to swiftly improve the overseas voting system at the World Korean Day ceremony on October 2. President Lee specifically mentioned postal voting as one of the alternatives and called for the support of overseas Koreans.

Attending the 19th World Korean Day ceremony held at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul Hotel in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, President Lee stated, "We will take action as quickly as possible so that citizens of the Republic of Korea can easily exercise their sovereignty from nearby locations." This was meant to address the difficulties faced by overseas Koreans in voting, and when President Lee promised improvements, the audience responded with applause and cheers.

President Lee's remarks highlighted the voting rights issues of overseas Koreans who must spend hours on flights or pay significant expenses. While calling it a "beautiful story," he criticized the current system, saying, "Due to a lack of personnel, a single polling station is set up by combining several cities or countries. It's hard to tell whether they're asking people to vote or just making things difficult."

He went on to say, "To solve this problem, a large workforce and budget are needed immediately," and argued, "In addition to making voting as easy and accessible as possible through temporary employment, we should also introduce methods such as postal voting." However, he acknowledged, "It is true that there is much debate about changing the system," and appealed, "If you unite and provide strong support, it will be possible to reform the system quickly, so I earnestly ask for your help."

President Lee Jae-myung salutes the national flag with attendees at the 19th World Korean Day ceremony held on the 2nd at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul Hotel in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

President Lee also met with overseas Koreans in New York, United States, on September 22 and stated, "We will definitely improve the voting system so that, wherever you are in the world, you can fully exercise your rights as citizens of the Republic of Korea." However, there is considerable opposition to postal voting due to concerns over proxy voting and false reporting. As a result, although lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties have proposed relevant amendments in the National Assembly, they have not been passed.

President Lee also said, "During recent overseas business trips, I heard that the government provides no support in helping you organize Korean associations," and added, "You are citizens of the Republic of Korea, so of course you deserve support." He further explained, "We will strengthen consular functions, going beyond simply handling civil complaints, and reorganize them so that the dedication of local Korean residents can be properly organized and expressed."

World Korean Day is celebrated every year on October 5 and was designated as a legal commemorative day in 2007. This year's ceremony began with a video highlighting the strong bonds between Korean communities abroad and the Republic of Korea throughout history. Afterward, musical actor Choi Jungwon and the Koryoin Children's Choir performed "My Country, Korea" together. The choir, composed of children of Koryoin (ethnic Koreans from the former Soviet Union), was founded in 2017 in the Gwangju Koryoin Village. The ceremony concluded with a performance symbolizing the gathering of light from around the world into Korea and a message of hope for future progress.

Meanwhile, President Lee personally presented government awards to six individuals, including Kwon Hongrae, advisor to the Korea-Brazil Scholarship Foundation, out of a total of 91 distinguished overseas Koreans honored on the day.