Public Administration Committee Passes National Referendum Act Amendment Led by Ruling Party... "Overseas Koreans Can Also Vote on Constitutional Revision"

Ending 12 Years of Unconstitutional Status
Allowing Registration on the Overseas Voters' List
People Power Party: "Problematic Because It Bypassed the Subcommittee on Bills"

On February 23, the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee passed an amendment to the National Referendum Act, led by the Democratic Party of Korea, to enable constitutional revision and other measures. The People Power Party boycotted the vote, taking issue with the fact that the bill had not even gone through the subcommittee on bills.

On this day, the committee held a full meeting and, under the leadership of the ruling party, approved the amendment to the National Referendum Act, which had previously been ruled unconstitutional and in need of revision. Shin Junghoon of the Democratic Party, who chairs the Public Administration and Security Committee, brought the National Referendum Act, which had been pending in the committee's second subcommittee on bills, to the full session. Chairman Shin said, "For 12 years, due to the state of unconstitutionality, the National Assembly's authority to amend the Constitution and the people's demands have not even been able to function," adding, "By handling the National Referendum Act, we must carry out the legitimate duties entrusted to the National Assembly."

Yonhap News Agency

The amendment to the National Referendum Act includes provisions to expand the scope of eligible voters to those listed on the overseas voters' register, and, in line with the Public Official Election Act, to prepare procedures for overseas absentee reports, applications for registration as overseas voters, and the overseas voters' register, thereby guaranteeing the suffrage of overseas Koreans.

Previously, in 2014, the Constitutional Court ruled that the National Referendum Act was unconstitutional and required revision. The ruling held that the clause allowing only those voters who, as of the date the referendum is announced, are registered residents in Korea or overseas Koreans with a reported domestic residence to be entered on the voters' list was inconsistent with the Constitution, as it restricted the exercise of voting rights by overseas Koreans.

Seo Beomsu, the People Power Party's secretary on the Public Administration and Security Committee, raised a procedural objection, saying, "How can a substantive review of the amendment take place when it has not gone through the subcommittee on bills and the contentious issues have not been sorted out?"