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Silicon Valley Korean community joins in on overseas voter registration campaign

December 3, 2015
This file photo shows polling booths being set up at the Korean Consulate in Los Angeles. (Korea Times file)

This file photo shows polling booths being set up at the Korean Consulate in Los Angeles. (Korea Times file)

Silicon Valley-area Korean organizations have begun a push to encourage locals to participate in overseas voter registration for South Korea’s legislative election next April.

The Silicon Valley Korean American Federation will lead a handful of groups inside San Jose’s Korean Palace on Dec. 17 in starting a campaign to promote registration.

Federation President Shin Min-ho said Moon Nam-eui, who oversees overseas voter registration at the San Francisco Consulate General, has completed a majority of the legwork for the effort.

“In spite of my limited abilities, as the leader of the Silicon Valley Korean American comunity, I promised him I would try my best to gather Koreans here to strengthen our political power,” Shin said.

Although registration began Nov. 15, as of last week less than 1 percent of eligible Korean nationals — just over 11,400 worldwide out of 1.9 million — had registered.

The 2016 National Assembly election is the third to offer overseas nationals voting participation. It was first introduced in 2012.

During that year’s presidential election, only 5 percent of eligible voters worldwide cast their ballots.

The Los Angeles Korean community said last month it would begin a promotion campaign and introduce posters to hotspots around Koreatown, including churches, supermarkets and shopping malls.

Silicon Valley Koreans look to do the same.

Registration efforts will unfold at local churches — Korean Emmanuel Presbyterian Church and New Korean Baptist Church — on Sunday.

The deadline for overseas voter registration is Feb. 13.

Visit ova.nec.go.kr to register.