With the June 13 local elections about two weeks away, some foreign residents with voting rights are still having difficulty getting information about candidates because of the language barrier. The National Election Commission (NEC) has been running an official foreign language website, but they are poorly managed with few updates; they are virtually useless for foreign voters who cannot speak Korean. From May 27 to 29, foreign residents with suffrage need to visit their local community center or government website for their city, county or district, to confirm whether they are listed as eligible voters and how to find their polling station. Foreigners who find their names missing should ask the center to include them during this period. Otherwise, they might lose the chance to vote.
However, there is no such crucial information on the NEC’s official website in English. Rather, there is almost no updated information about candidates running for the elections.
The latest news update on the site is dated April 26 and is lacking in practical voting information; it is about the NEC’s moves to enhance ties with Twitter. Meanwhile, in Korean, people can find their name online and see posters at bus stops and near community centers reminding them to check their names are on the voting list. Needless to say, there is no such news in other languages.
Full Article: Foreign voters still get little attention.
