Gyeonggi Province is moving to expand voter participation among migrant residents ahead of the 9th nationwide local elections on June 3. The province has produced promotional posters in 13 languages for migrants who have faced difficulties accessing election information due to language barriers.
Under the Public Official Election Act, migrants aged 18 or older who have held permanent residency for more than three years and are registered on the relevant local government's foreign resident roster are entitled to vote in local elections. Unlike presidential or National Assembly elections, local elections grant voting rights to foreigners who meet certain requirements.
The promotional materials produced by Gyeonggi Province are available in 13 languages, including Korean, English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Uzbek and Nepali. They feature illustrations explaining election day and early voting schedules, as well as the significance of voter participation.
The province will distribute the materials through migrant support organizations such as the Gyeonggi Foreigner Welfare Center and family centers. It also plans to utilize migrant communities and social networking services (SNS). On-the-ground promotion will be carried out in parallel through networks including honorary foreign resident ambassadors and the migrant policy promotion group.
"Migrants are also important members of our society and residents who live together in our local communities," said Yoon Hyun-ok, head of Gyeonggi Province's Immigration and Social Policy Division. "We will continue to provide multilingual guidance and promotion so that they do not encounter difficulties in the election participation process."
