Election Day In Korea

It’s Election Day here in Korea. It is always a festive time of year. There are the local elections (for mayor, city assembly, governor, and local seats) and for some seats in the national assembly. I have worked on election campaigns at the city, provincial and national levels while back in Canada. In those elections, there are lawn signs, commercials, and hours of media coverage. In Canada, there is no escaping it.

In Korea, there are no election signs on lawns because most people live in apartments. There may be a lot of media coverage, but since I don’t understand Korean, I don’t notice it as much. Instead, trucks with loudspeakers sing songs in praise of the candidates. There are people on every corner waving their arms and encouraging everyone to vote for a number. Candidates have a number to vote for. The largest party is given the number 1, the second-largest party is given the number 2, and so on. All from the last election. There are jingles, dancing girls, and loudspeakers roaming through the streets. It is more of a carnival rather than an election. It is also reminiscent of elections I have seen on newsreels of the 1960s in Canada.

The parties are the same as in most places, with the Grand National Party, now in the presidency, as the conservative party. They believe in business and have a strong stance against North Korea. The second party is the Democratic Party, which was in power for most of the 2000s. They are more liberal, less about the needs of business, and more positive toward the North. Then there are the others, which range from socialists to arch-conservatives. In all, six other parties hold one or two seats in the national assembly.

As a foreigner, I can’t vote. The great thing about elections in Korea is that they are a National Holiday, encouraging all to vote. It is the one thing I do wish they would adopt in Canada.