Outdated overseas voters participated in South Korea’s 21st presidential election at the Korean Community Center located in Annandale, Virginia, near Washington D.C., on May 20. [JOONGANG ILBO]
ANNANDALE, Virginia — On Tuesday morning in suburban Virginia, Korean voters started queuing up at the Korean Community Center with a single objective—to cast their votes for the upcoming presidential election.
The early election was called after former President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached. Voters expressed a common desire to see an end to the political instability that followed his ouster.
“I have never been more eager to vote than I am now,” stated Song Jung-ho, a voter in his 50s who was the first to arrive at the polling station. “After dropping my child off at school, I headed directly here.”
Song stated that numerous individuals, especially those holding moderate political views, are progressively calling for the political culture as a whole to be rectified.
"The impeachment has caused concern among numerous individuals that South Korea’s political landscape might be moving in an unfavorable direction," Song stated.
Kim Hyeon-jin, in their twenties, paused to cast her ballot on the way to work. Kim mentioned that their American colleagues at the office paid close attention to the reports about South Korea’s imposition of martial law and the impeachment process.
That compelled me to cast my ballot, despite being in the United States," Kim stated. "To be honest, I used to feel ashamed when people queried about South Korea’s politics. However, now I feel a sense of pride because I have the opportunity to demonstrate how we elect our leader using democratic processes.
The overseas ballot casting for South Korea’s 21st presidential election occurs at the Korean Community Center in Annandale, Virginia, close to Washington D.C., on May 20. [JOONGANG ILBO]
Hwang Sung-hee, once a high school social studies instructor from South Korea who later moved to the U.S., shared her thoughts on educating students about the Constitution.
I would set Article 1 of the Constitution to music and perform it with my students like this: 'The Republic of Korea is a democratic republic. The sovereignty belongs to the citizens, and all authority stems from them,'" Hwang explained. "I hope this election serves as a reminder for my former students about the significance of casting their votes.
Some voters made long trips to participate. Sung Jin-ok, in her 40s, drove over four hours from Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, the day before with her husband to vote.
“My mom gets angry every time she watches the news about Korean politics,” she said. “My kids started asking why. I brought them — who are Korean but never paid attention to the country beyond K-pop — here to Virginia, the nearest [polling station], to help them understand the meaning of voting.”
The overseas voting for South Korea's 21st presidential election occurs at the Korean Community Center in Annandale, Virginia, close to Washington D.C., on May 20. [JOONGANG ILBO]
Nevertheless, members of the Korean community in the U.S. express fatigue with Korean politics.
I'm only here due to my mother insisting I accompany her," stated an individual in their 20s who chose not to provide their name. "People my age aren't really interested in Korean politics these days.
The voter remarked, "Seeing how political differences cause conflicts between parents and children makes me question if politics is actually complicating our lives rather than improving them."
Representatives from the liberal Democratic Party of Korea and the conservative People Power Party were present as observers at the voting location.
An observer pointed out that political division has become more pronounced in both South Korea and the United States.
It has turned into an unwritten guideline to avoid discussing your political opinions in public," they mentioned. "It's distressing to observe the division within the overseas Korean community as they argue over matters from their homeland instead of uniting.
The overseas voting for the presidential election started at 8 a.m. on May 20 and continues until 5 p.m. on May 25 across 223 polling centers located in 118 different nations. There are currently 258,254 Korean expatriates enrolled to cast their votes, marking an uptick of 14.2% compared to the previous election held in 2022; however, this figure represents a decline of 12.3% when contrasted with voter numbers recorded during the 2017 poll.
The United States leads in terms of the number of overseas voters, with 53,377 registered participants. The Korean Embassy along with nine consular offices set up 37 voting locations throughout the nation.
The overseas voting for South Korea’s 21st presidential election occurs at the Korean Community Center in Annandale, Virginia, close to Washington D.C., on May 20. Ambassador Cho Hyun-dong of South Korea to the U.S. also cast his vote at this location on the same day. [JOONGANG ILBO]
Cho Hyun-dong, South Korea's envoy to the United States, cast his ballot alongside his partner in Virginia.
Voting from abroad is an essential means for our expatriates to influence governmental policies," he stated. "I encourage each registered voter to participate.
When asked about the future of South Korean-American relations following the election, Cho stated, "Our partnership with the United States is fundamental to our diplomatic efforts, security, and economic prosperity. I am certain that this relationship will stay robust and expand even more under the incoming government."
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KANG TAE-HWA [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]
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