Pinay makes political history in South Korea

A Filipina is making history in South Korea by being the first foreign-born citizen to run for a seat in the National Assembly.

Judith Hernandez, a former resident of Cavite, is making waves in the South Korean political scene by becoming the first candidate outside Korean lineage to run for the Philippine equivalent of a congressional seat.

Hernandez is running under the “Republic of Korea Party,” a new party organized by former presidential candidate Kook-Hyun Moon, for the general elections to be held on April 9.

Hernandez arrived in Korea more than 15 years ago when she married a South Korean.

Now a Korean citizen, Hernandez steadily became active in her local community in Seongnam, a city less than an hour from Seoul, particularly with programs aimed at improving the welfare of migrant workers, foreign spouses, and their children. It is upon this advocacy that she built her political platform.

During a meeting with Ambassador Luis Cruz last March 26, Hernandez discussed the challenges of integrating into a society which in the past was referred to as the hermit kingdom, the social changes now taking place there.

She said the South Korean society is opening up as the national and local governments have begun institutionalizing programs aimed at fostering a more global outlook.

“Her very entry into politics possibly signals changes in perception and a more accepting view of foreigners,” Cruz said, adding “In a country that is rewriting its social norms and evaluating its emerging role in the international community, Hernandez's message strikes a sympathetic nerve.”

The candidacy of Hernandez has so far enjoyed warm response. Her ranking in the party recently climbed from 8th to 7th out of more than 20 hopefuls.

There are two ways to secure a position in South Korea's unicameral legislature. First, representatives are directly elected from single-member districts. Second, the rest of the approximately 300 slots are filled by the parties following a formula that proportionally allocates membership based on the number of seats won in the election.

For Hernandez to win, her party needs to obtain a fair percentage of the votes so she will be included under proportional representation.

“And Hernandez is optimistic,” Cruz said.

South Korean law limits the campaign period to only two weeks, with the last day ending at 12 midnight prior to the elections.

She has enlisted the support of migrant communities and appeared on various Korean television shows and print media. Her publicity no doubt shored up by her novelty in the political arena.

Cruz said Hernandez successfully raised awareness of the need to facilitate the integration and assimilation of foreign spouses and their children into South Korean society.

“Her advocacy brought attention to their plight and spurred debate about multiculturalism. Because of this and regardless of the outcome of the elections, Hernandez is already a winner,” Cruz said.

Before venturing into politics, Hernandez established a “multicultural kindergarten” that addresses the needs of racially mixed children, both in terms of academic guidance and emotional support.

Her project was funded by sympathetic organizations such as the Lions Club International and featured by media outfits like the Seoul Broadcasting System, one of South Korea's largest radio and television networks.