On the 23rd, a significant amendment to the National Referendum Act, enabling voting on constitutional amendments, successfully passed through the South Korean National Assembly's Ministry of the Interior and Safety Committee. This legislative progress was primarily facilitated by the ruling coalition, with Democratic Party member Shin Jeong-hun leading the push after the original review process faced delays from the opposition party, the People Power Party. In protest of what they deemed unilateral handling, the People Power Party chose to abstain from the vote, highlighting the ongoing political tensions in the assembly.

The key aspects of the amendment include extending voter eligibility to South Koreans living abroad, thereby ensuring their inclusion on the voter list and effectively protecting their voting rights. This move follows a Constitutional Court ruling from 2014, which declared that previous restrictions on voting for overseas citizens constituted a violation of constitutional provisions. The court had previously mandated the government to address these voting rights issues by 2015, but a legislative void persisted for over a decade, prompting this new push for reform.

As the legislation moves forward, it emphasizes the significance of ensuring the voting rights of overseas citizens, which could potentially impact future national elections and constitutional processes. With overseas voting included, the potential for increased civic engagement among the diaspora raises questions about how this might influence democratic representation and future political discourse in South Korea.