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| ▲ Ruling People Power Party leader Kim Gi-hyeon gives a speech at the National Assembly in Seoul on June 20, 2023. (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) ruling party-China
(LEAD) Ruling party leader suggests scrapping voting rights of Chinese nationals in S. Korea
(ATTN: ADDS additional info from Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon's speech in last para)
By Kang Jae-eun
SEOUL, June, 20 (Yonhap) -- The leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) on Tuesday suggested scrapping the voting rights of Chinese nationals living in South Korea, saying that vice-versa is not the case.
Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon made the remark in an address at the National Assembly as leader of a parliamentary negotiating bloc, saying relations between South Korea and China should be based on the principle of reciprocity.
"At the time of the local elections in June last year, about 100,000 Chinese nationals residing here had the right to vote. However, no suffrage is guaranteed at all for our people in China," Kim said during the address.
"Why should we be the only one opening the latch? What is fair would be not to give voting rights to foreigners from countries that do not give our people voting rights," he said.
Since 2005, South Korea has given foreigners the right to vote in local elections if three years have passed since they gained permanent residency. Some critics have said the law gives Chinese too much say in local politics.
As of last year, about 2.25 million foreigners lived in South Korea, and some 38 percent, or 850,000, of them were Chinese, according to justice ministry statistics.
In December last year, Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, a former PPP floor leader, proposed a bill centering on giving voting rights to foreigners only from countries giving the same rights to South Koreans living in those countries.
The PPP leader also said the same principle of reciprocity should be applied to health insurance benefits, pointing out that the current system provides more benefits to Chinese nationals in South Korea than what South Koreans can receive in China.
"The health insurance fund, created with the sweat and tears of our citizens, should not be drained by foreign medical shoppers. We will prevent health insurance fraud and people who try to free-ride on the national health insurance system," he said.
During the address, Kim also proposed that the National Assembly reduce the number of lawmakers by 10 percent and all lawmakers sign a pledge to give up their immunity from arrest as part of political reform efforts.
His speech came a day after Rep. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, vowed to give up his arrest immunity, accusing the government of President Yoon Suk Yeol of using investigations to oppress political opponents.
By law, national legislators are immune from arrest while parliament is in session, a measure designed to shield lawmakers from political investigations and persecution. Lawmakers can be arrested only when the Assembly consents to it.
On the Fukushima waste water issue, Kim criticized the opposition for spreading rumors and making "groundless" attacks on the release plan, and pledged to prioritize people's "life, safety and property" in dealing with the issue.
He said his party will demand Japan disclose information on the waters transparently, in line with international standards, and prevent seafood produced near Fukushima from "appearing on the dinner tables" of our people.
Additionally, Kim said that South Korea will eventually gear toward accepting more immigrants to tackle its declining birthrate and aging society and that his party plans to gather a national consensus on expanding immigration.
(END)
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