The number of 18-year-old student voters casting their 'first vote' in the 21st presidential election is close to 200,000. Education chiefs in various regions encouraged, saying, 'We hope student voters will participate in the vote.'
According to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Administration and Security on the 3rd, the total number of eligible voters aged 18, who are in the 3rd year of high school as of the election date, is 192,439. This includes those born on June 4, 2007. Compared to 126,509 voters aged 18 during the 20th presidential election held in 2022, this is an increase of over 60,000.
The voting sentiment of 19-year-old student voters is also significant. In particular, the voting rate for 18-year-olds during the 20th presidential election was relatively high at 71.3%.
The voting age in Korea started at 20 years old in 1960, was lowered to 19 in 2005, and then reduced to 18 years or older following a revision of the Public Official Election Act in 2019. It was noted that Korea was the only country among the 36 member nations of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) without voting rights for those aged 18.
Korea, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia grant voting rights from the age of 18, while Indonesia allows voting from age 17, and Austria and Brazil permit voting from age 16. Meanwhile, Taiwan requires voters to be 20, and Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait require voters to be 21.
Major presidential candidates have also proposed pledges targeting these students and young people. Lee Jae-myung, the candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea, proposed ▲ alleviating college tuition burdens and improving young people's housing environment ▲ introducing 'Youth Future Savings' to support asset building for young people ▲ relaxing income requirements for student loans to be repaid after employment ▲ expanding the scope of interest exemptions before mandatory repayments ▲ reflecting military service experience in pay grades, while Kim Moon-soo, the candidate from the People Power Party, proposed ▲ creating good jobs that young people want ▲ expanding living expense loans for college and graduate students to focus on study ▲ raising the age ceiling for joining youth employment support funds, youth savings accounts, and tax deductions ▲ introducing a military points system.
In the education sector, efforts are being made to encourage students who will vote for the first time. The Ulsan Office of Education released a 1 minute and 29 seconds long educational video to encourage participation among 18-year-old voters ahead of the election, and Jeong Seon, the superintendent of Gwangju Metropolitan City, held a joint press conference with Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung and district mayors on the 2nd at Gwangju City Hall, appealing for participation in the presidential election.
In addition, superintendents such as Kim Seok-jun from Busan, Kim Ji-cheol from Chungnam, Lim Dae-hee from Gyeonggi, Park Jong-hun from Gyeongnam, Jeong Geun-sik from Seoul, Lim Jong-sik from Gyeongbuk, Cheon Chang-soo from Ulsan, Kim Kwang-soo from Jeju, and Kim Dae-jung from Jeonnam urged students to participate while casting their early votes.
Some have raised concerns that the upcoming June mock exam (June 4) may make it difficult for students to participate in early and regular voting. Some high schools are reported to continue educational activities in preparation for the mock exam even on the election day.
The Citizens' Group for a Society without Educational Backgrounds stated on the 29th of last month that, 'In addition to the imminent mock exam, many schools have set the school start time until 8:30 a.m., making participation in early voting realistically difficult,' and continued, 'The education authorities need to establish practical measures to ensure that student voters can actually vote by guaranteeing sufficient time and conditions.' The Chungnam Office of Education issued a public notice on the 28th of last month advising that in order to ensure the voting rights of 3rd-year high school student voters, 'sufficient voting time should be guaranteed before school starts, and it is recommended to refrain from conducting separate classes on election day.'