18-year-olds should be entitled to vote: civic groups

A group of lawmakers and civic group members held a press conference Thursday to urge the National Assembly to pass an amendment to lower the voting age from the current 19 to 18.

Civic group Youth Act and Reps. Park Joo-min, Wee Seong-gon, and Park Kwang-on of the Democratic Party of Korea gathered at the National Assembly to release a joint statement. They aim to pass the amendment in the recent Special Committee on Political Reform.

The statement included consent of 373 civic groups and 40 politicians who submitted the bill to provide suffrage to 18-year-olds.

Being 18 years of age allows Korean citizens the rights to drive, enlist in the military and marry. They are also obliged to pay taxes if employed. Many politicians and civic groups have pointed out that providing access to other adult responsibilities with the exception of the right to vote is irrational.

Korea is the only country among the 35 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development where a certain age group has obligations to enlistment, education and work but is exempt from suffrage.

Rep. Park Kwang-on of the Democratic Party said “It is ironic that 18-year-olds can make rational decisions, but do not have the right to vote, which generates policies that effects their future.”

The press conference also condemned the Liberty Korea Party, saying the party’s ambiguous attitude has been an obstacle to amending the bill. 

In March, the presidential office proposed the legal voting age be lowered to 18, but no changes have thus far been made. The joint statement read, “Although many were favorable to lowering the voting age, with the leading opposition party uncooperative, the discussion could not progress.”

Rep. Wee Sung-on urged the amendment by saying, “Teenagers themselves have been protesting for suffrage, and it’s now the National Assembly’s turn to provide an answer.”

By Lee Tae-hee (taeheelee@heraldcorp.com)