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Mar. 28  2024
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[AWN 121]Voting Rights of Foreigners & Migrant Workers

This year 2002 is a political year that the local autonomy election in June and the Presidential Election in December are planned. But the sensitive problems like as different political opinions and other or economic interests will be never solved during this period. One of them is the revision of migrant workers law'.

Source  :  Asian Workers\' News

By Jeong Gue-sun, President of Association for Foreign Workers' Human Rights in Pusan

This year 2002 is a political year that the local autonomy election in June and the Presidential Election in December are planned. But the sensitive problems like as different political opinions and other or economic interests will be never solved during this period. One of them is the revision of migrant workers law'.

Already improvement of new law and system like as 'Abolition of Trainee System and bringing Employ Permit System' etc. has been under discussion since the spring of 1997, but it had finished to the '2+1' system on the occasion of the presidential election at the late 1997. And the 'Employ Permit System' was a hot issue in 1999 again, it also finished to delay for the total failure of economic policy of DJ Administration.

There was only arresting period of undocumented migrant workers without any improvement of system in the last year, and next to achieve the improvement of the system we want will be more difficult in 2002. Compared with migrant workers influence to election, their influence of the KFSB and the owners employing trainees who have had enough benefits from trainee system is too much.

Because migrant workers don't have vote rights and can not give any political money, while KFSB and owners have affection election in their area and can give political money to some politicians who support their opinion or who promise to support their opinion. But there was special news for foreigners at the end of 2001.

There was an agreement at the investigation committee of election laws of special committee of political reform of General Assembly that foreigners who have lived more than 5 years and older than 20 years can vote in local election. It is a meaningful first step for foreigners to improve political and social status in Korea. And also it means that politicians have to hear various opinions of foreigners, especially to improve their condition.

For a long time Koreans have been pointing out their exclusion, like as Chinese who is famous in strong lives and economic power in the world couldn't organize a China Town in Korea.

Even it is some late, this agreement in General Assembly will be a good step for foreigners to guard and extend their rights and status as citizens in Korea. It feels to far a way for migrant workers but has to go who have not been secure the rights and status as abor to secure the rights and status as citizens.
Then I hope 'the discussion for 5 day working system in a week' comes reality for migrant workers for going to mountain and fishing in weekend with friends and Korean comrades not sleeping for deficient rest of hard and long hour working. And I'm waiting that I can hear the voice of migrant workers, which is asking to politicians what they will do during election period.
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