On March 10, 2017, President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment was approved by the Constitutional Court. Right after that, South Koreans had to prepare for the next presidential election to choose the next leader of the country. Presidential candidates only had 60 days to campaign for the election. This year early voting was on May 4-5, and the main election day was on May 9. Due to the impeachment, this year’s Election Day was moved from December to May. This phenomenon caused many 20 year old people Korean age to feel discriminated against by their lack of chance to vote, because in South Korea people get the right to vote on their 20th birthday Korean age.
In this article, Korean age is used. Koreans gain a year of age every January 1. When Koreans turn 20 on January 1, they get the rights to buy cigarettes, and alcohol. However, some rights are gained on their birthday. When they turn 19 on their birthday, they can marry or get a driver’s license. Also Korean men must register for the military. When Koreans turn 20 on their birthday, they get the right to vote. See the table below.

During the early voting, approximately 11 million voters out of 42.5 million potential voters (26.1%) exercised their right to vote. Then on the main Election Day, approximately 21.8 million out of 42.5 million potential voters voted, (51.1%). A total of 32.8 million out of 42.5 million potential voters voted, (77.2%). It is the best voting rate in 20 years. The result of the election showed that the Democratic Party of Korea’s Moon, Jae-in earned 41.1% of the vote and became South Korea’s 19th President on May 10.

Difference between the former elections and the 19th election.
Unlike the 19th presidential election, the former presidential elections were always held on December 19. However, after the impeachment process was completed, the presidential election was set for May 9. This triggered the politicians to prepare for their election as quickly as possible and to argue about adjusting the voting age in Korea to attract young potential voters to vote for them. The reason that the voting age became a serious issue is because the people who became 20 this year on January 1 are adults and have many rights, but they don’t have the right to vote until their birthday. Therefore, many were unable to vote in this presidential election.
Of the 35 OECD countries, all get the right to vote before Koreans. Citizens of 33 OECD countries can vote 1 year before Korean, and Austrians can vote 3 years before Koreans. This shows that Korean policies haven’t caught up with the global standard. Even Japan, which shares some Confucian ideas with South Korea, lowered voting age to line up with the OECD standard.
Korea has not lowered the voting age because they believe it would interfere with high school students lives. If the voting age were lowered, the high school student’s concentration on their study would be interrupted. Also, they are not mature enough to make an informed decision.
If the Presidential election were held on December 19, like former elections, most of the 20 years old adults could have voted. Since the election was held on May 9, only people who were born prior to May 10, 1998, could vote this year. According to birth records, more than the 7 out of 12 people who became 20 years old this year could not exert their right to vote in this election. Also in the 20th Presidential election expected to be held on March 2, 2022, approximately 10 out of 12 people who will become 20 years old in 2022 will not be able to vote. This situation is not fair for the young potential voters.
The right to vote should be granted on January 1 when people who become 20 in 2022, not on their birthday as it is now. Then that right will be gained at the same time as the right to buy alcohol, cigarettes, or lottery tickets.

Interview with a freshman who couldn’t vote in this election.

I interviewed Kim Sun-woo, Keimyung University freshman, who couldn’t vote in this presidential election. I asked him about not being able to vote and how should the voting age be adjusted.

1.Please introduce yourself.
Hello, my name is Kim Sun-woo, I’m a freshman majoring in international commerce. Currently, I am the freshmen representative of my major.
2.You became an adult this year. Are you enjoying your rights as an adult?
To compare my teenage years and now, there’s quite a big difference, I use to have a strict curfew. However, now I can do whatever I want. I gained many right like the ability to buy alcohol or cigarettes and study what I want. I also have more interest in politics and current news. But I didn’t have the right to vote in the election this year.
3.Why couldn’t you vote in this presidential election?
Originally, I would have voted in for the 19th presidential election when I became an adult if the election day was in December like usual. But because of the impeachment process the next election day was set for May 9. Since I was born on May 11, I couldn’t vote this time. If I had been born two days earlier or the election were two days later, I could have voted. Unfortunately, the early election day prevented me from voting in the 19th presidential election.
4.What do you think about the new president?
I’m pretty much satisfied with the result of the election this time because President Moon Jae-in will input all of his energy to govern the country. I couldn’t participate in the election this time, however, the result came out like this and people should accept the president.
5.What do you think about the voting age?
This presidential election was held in May and, as I heard from the news, the next presidential election will be held in March. I think that will cause most of the 20-year-old adults to feel discriminated against by not being able to vote. Because the election will be in March, most will feel excluded by not being able to vote, even if they are considered adults for other things. So, I think the voting age should be adjusted. It should be granted on January 1 like the ability to buy alcohol or cigarettes, and not on someone’s birthday.