Ruling party expresses willingness to limit voting rights of Chinese nationals in South Korea

The ruling party of South Korea expressed willingness to restrict the voting rights of Chinese nationals, who are living in the country, on issues of politics and medical insurance law. The ruling party, because of its latest stance, faced accusations of stirring up anti-Chinese sentiments in the country, amid increasing tension.

While delivering a speech on Tuesday, President Yoon Suk-yeol’s conservative People Power Party (PPP) chairman Kim Gi-hyeon told lawmakers that the relations between South Korea and China “should be re-established under the principle of reciprocity”.

'Fair to deny foreigners the right to vote'

“We will work to limit the voting rights of Chinese residents in this country,” Kim stated. “In local elections last year, about 100,000 Chinese people living in South Korea were eligible to vote, while South Koreans in China were not allowed to vote at all,” he added.

Most of these residents, who were born in China, hold Chinese passports and have Korean ancestors. “It’s only fair to deny foreigners the right to vote in this country unless their home countries grant our own citizens the same right,” Kim stated.

Need to correct abuse of public health insurance system

He emphasised on how Chinese people allegedly abused the public health insurance system of South Korea which he stated is another key area which needs to be corrected as per the principle of reciprocity.

“The health insurance fund created by the sweat and hard work of the people must not be abused for foreign medical shopping. We will stop health insurance frauds and freeriding on health insurance by Chinese people,” Kim stated.

Kim made the statement after President Yoon, while presiding over a government cabinet meeting, appealed for changing laws and regulations to align them with the “principle of reciprocity”.

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Yoon added that Koreans are “displeased” with Chinese Ambassador Xing Haiming as he warned that Seoul is betting on the defeat of Beijing by Washington in the rivalry of superpowers, said Yonhap News.

The statement was made by Xing earlier this month when he met with Lee Jae-myung, Yoon’s nemesis and head of the liberal opposition Democratic Party of Korea.

Last week, Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon said that they are also reviewing permanent residence regulations for foreigners to apply the principle of reciprocity to voting rights.

“Granting foreigners the right to vote without considering the principle of reciprocity could bend public opinion,” Han stated. Critics called the allegations that the Chinese citizens' voting rights can lead to interference in domestic affairs as 'exaggerated'.

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