🚨 Right to Political Participation: Basic Rights and Political Participation in Democracy

Today Korean Social News | 2025.05.24

📌 Delivery Workers Can't Rest Even on Election Day, Demand Protection of Political Rights

💬 On June 3rd, election day, delivery workers still have to work. As Coupang's 7-day delivery policy spreads across the industry, other delivery companies are also forcing workers to work on election day. The delivery workers' union is asking the National Election Commission to improve the system to protect political participation rights and demanding rest on election day. Delivery workers are classified as special employment workers and do not receive protection under labor standards law, so they cannot rest on weekends and holidays and are exposed to the risk of death from overwork.

Summary

• Political participation rights are basic rights that allow citizens to participate in politics.
• They include voting rights, right to be elected, referendum rights, and are core principles of democracy.
• In reality, it is often difficult to exercise political participation rights due to working conditions and economic restrictions.

1️⃣ Definition

Right to political participation means the basic right for citizens to participate in national politics. Simply put, it is the right for citizens to directly participate in the country's politics and express their opinions.

Political participation rights are the most important means of realizing popular sovereignty in democratic society and are basic rights guaranteed by the constitution.

💡 Why is it important?

• It realizes popular sovereignty, which is the basic principle of democracy.
• It allows citizens to directly participate in political processes and express their will.
• It enables legitimacy of political power and democratic control.
• It helps develop civic consciousness and responsibility as members of society.

2️⃣ Types and Contents of Political Participation Rights

📕 Main Types of Political Participation Rights

• Political participation rights are divided into several forms. The main types are as follows:

  • Voting rights: The right to elect people who form state institutions. This means the right to vote in presidential elections, National Assembly elections, local elections, etc.
  • Right to be elected: The right to qualify as a member of state institutions. This is the right to run for president, National Assembly member, local government head, etc.
  • Referendum rights: The right to directly express opinions on constitutional amendments or important national issues.
  • Right to recall: The right to demand the dismissal of elected officials during their term.
  • Right of initiative: The right for citizens to directly propose bills or policies.

• Voting rights and the right to be elected have certain requirements. The main requirements are as follows:

  • Voting rights: Any Korean citizen aged 18 or older can have them (lowered to age 18 since 2020).
  • Right to be elected: President must be 40 or older, National Assembly members must be 25 or older, local council members and local government heads must be 25 or older.
  • Both voting rights and the right to be elected are restricted for those who have received imprisonment or higher punishment and have not finished serving their sentence.
  • Those who have received election nullification or suspension of the right to be elected due to election law violations are also restricted for a certain period.

📕 Real-world Restrictions on Political Participation Rights

• Political participation rights are legally guaranteed but real-world restrictions exist. Main restricting factors are as follows:

  • Working conditions: Occupational groups that must work on election day (medical staff, police, firefighters, delivery workers, etc.) may find it difficult to participate in voting.
  • Economic restrictions: There are concerns about the cost burden of exercising the right to be elected or economic losses due to political activities.
  • Geographic restrictions: There are difficulties in voting participation for residents in areas with poor accessibility or where residence and electoral district are different.
  • Information accessibility: There are difficulties in meaningful choice due to lack of sufficient information about candidates or policies.
  • Social restrictions: Political participation avoidance appears due to employment instability, social pressure, lack of time, etc.

• The issue of political participation rights for special employment workers is emerging. Main issues are as follows:

  • Delivery workers, platform workers, and other special employment workers often have to work even on election day because they do not receive protection under labor standards law.
  • They are classified as individual business owners and do not receive paid leave or holiday guarantees.
  • Not working leads directly to income reduction, creating a large economic burden.
  • It is a structural problem that is difficult to solve even through negotiations with labor unions or employers.
  • The government is proposing measures such as expanding early voting and extending voting hours, but fundamental solutions are lacking.

Main Challenges in Guaranteeing Political Participation Rights

1. Real accessibility: Closing the gap between legal guarantee and actual possibility of exercise
2. Conflict with labor rights: Finding balance between working conditions and guaranteeing political participation rights
3. Digital divide: Closing the gap in online information accessibility and digital participation methods
4. Economic equality: Issues of inequality in political participation opportunities based on economic power
5. Institutional improvement: Continuous improvement of systems that guarantee political participation rights suitable to reality

3️⃣ History and International Comparison of Political Participation Rights

✅ Development Process of Korean Political Participation Rights

• Korean political participation rights have been gradually expanded. The main development process is as follows:

  • In 1948, the founding constitution granted voting rights to citizens aged 21 and older.
  • After the April 19 Revolution in 1960, the direct election system was established.
  • After the June Democratic Uprising in 1987, direct presidential elections were restored.
  • In 2005, the voting age was lowered from 20 to 19.
  • In 2020, the voting age was lowered again to 18, making about 540,000 high school students new voters.

• There have been several social changes in the process of expanding political participation rights. Main changes are as follows:

  • Women's political participation rights: Equal political participation rights for men and women have been guaranteed since 1948, but actual political participation is gradually expanding.
  • Political participation rights for overseas nationals: Presidential election political participation rights were granted to overseas nationals from 2009, and expanded to National Assembly elections from 2012.
  • Early voting system: Introduced in 2013, greatly improving voting accessibility.
  • 18-year-old voting rights: Implemented from the 2020 general election, expanding opportunities for youth political participation.

✅ Comparison with Major Countries

• Political participation systems in each country vary according to history and culture. Comparison of major countries is as follows:

  • United States: Voting age is 18, and different election systems are operated by state. Indirect election through the electoral college system is characteristic.
  • Germany: Voting rights from age 18, right to be elected from age 18. Operates a mixed election system combining proportional representation and district systems.
  • Japan: Lowered voting age to 18 since 2016. Expanded youth political participation rights at a similar time to Korea.
  • United Kingdom: Voting rights from age 18, and in some local elections, voting is possible from age 16.

• International trends and implications can be identified. Main implications are as follows:

  • Most democratic countries set voting age at 18, and some countries are considering expansion to age 16.
  • Institutional improvements to increase voting accessibility such as early voting, mail voting, and online voting continue.
  • Institutional considerations to guarantee political participation rights for socially vulnerable groups such as immigrants, disabled persons, and elderly are being strengthened.
  • The issue of guaranteeing political participation rights for new types of workers such as platform workers is emerging as a common challenge for all countries.

4️⃣ Related Terms Explanation

🔎 Voting Rights

• Voting rights are the right to elect people who form state institutions.
• Voting rights refer to the right for citizens to participate in voting to elect people who form national or local government institutions. It is the most basic and direct method of realizing popular sovereignty in a democratic system.
• The main characteristics of voting rights include: First, they are granted to all citizens above a certain age according to the principle of universal suffrage. Second, all voters' votes have equal value according to the principle of equal suffrage. Third, voters directly choose candidates according to the principle of direct elections. Fourth, voting content is kept secret according to the principle of secret ballot.
• In Korea, citizens aged 18 and older have voting rights and can participate in presidential elections, National Assembly elections, and local elections. However, those who have received imprisonment or higher punishment and have not finished serving it, or those whose voting rights have been suspended by court decision, have restricted voting rights.

🔎 Early Voting

• Early voting is a system that allows voting before election day.
• The early voting system allows voters who cannot vote on election day to vote in advance during a certain period before election day. Since its introduction in 2013, it has greatly contributed to improving voter turnout and voter convenience.
• The main characteristics of early voting include: First, it is conducted for 2 days from 5 days before election day (usually Friday-Saturday). Second, you can vote at any early voting station nationwide. Third, you only need to bring identification without separate reporting or application procedures. Fourth, ballots are printed electronically and kept sealed until election day.
• The early voting system particularly helps guarantee political participation rights for office workers, students, service industry workers, and other groups who have difficulty voting on election day. In the 2020 general election, 26.7% of all voters used early voting, showing high utilization.

🔎 Special Employment Workers

• Special employment workers are workers with characteristics between employees and self-employed.
• Special employment workers refer to workers who are legally classified as individual business owners but actually work in subordination to specific workplaces. Representative examples include delivery drivers, designated drivers, platform workers, and insurance planners.
• The main characteristics of special employment workers include: First, they sign consignment contracts or service contracts rather than employment contracts. Second, they do not receive protection under labor standards law, so they have no benefits such as minimum wage, working hour limits, or paid leave. Third, the content and method of work are determined by the employer, but they are legally treated as independent business owners. Fourth, they can only join some social insurance such as industrial accident compensation insurance.
• Special employment workers also face difficulties in exercising political participation rights. They cannot stop work on holidays or election days, and not working leads directly to income reduction. Accordingly, institutional improvement measures to guarantee their political participation rights are continuously being discussed.

5️⃣ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How can people with jobs that require working on election day vote?

A: People who must work on election day can still participate in voting through several methods. The best method is to use early voting. Early voting is possible at any early voting station nationwide from 6 AM to 6 PM on the Friday and Saturday before election day, and you only need to bring identification without separate reporting. If early voting is also difficult, you can adjust your work hours on election day to briefly visit a polling station during voting hours (6 AM to 6 PM). According to labor standards law, employers must give workers the necessary time to vote and cannot give disadvantages for this reason. However, special employment workers or individual business owners have difficulty receiving such protection, so early voting is almost the only method. The government is continuously reviewing measures such as extending voting hours and expanding polling stations to solve this problem.

Q: Do you automatically get voting rights when you turn 18, or do you need to apply separately?

A: When you turn 18, voting rights are automatically granted without separate application. However, to actually vote, you must be registered on the voter list, which is done automatically based on resident registration. If your 18th birthday is before election day and you are registered as a resident, you can exercise voting rights. For first-time voters, you will receive a voter registration notice a few days before election day, which includes guidance on polling station location and voting methods. If you have moved addresses, you must report your move before election day to vote at your new address. For overseas nationals, you must apply for overseas voter registration, which can be done at embassies or consulates. When voting, you must bring identification (resident registration card, driver's license, passport, etc.).