SFA-AGR-193-08

IN SOUTH KOREAN POLITICS, A FILIPINA MAKES HISTORY

28 March 2008 - Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Luis T. Cruz reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that a Filipina has carved for herself a niche in South Korean history by being the first foreign-born citizen to run for a seat in the National Assembly.

Judith A. Hernandez, a former resident of Cavite, is making waves in the political scene for becoming the first candidate without 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, 2008.

Hernandez arrived in Korea more than 15 years ago when she married a Korean national. 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 Amb. Cruz on March 26, Hernandez discussed the challenges of integrating into a society which in the past was referred to as the hermit kingdom, and the social changes now taking place there. Hernandez opines that the Korean society is opening up as 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.

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 candidature of Hernandez has so far enjoyed warm response. Her ranking in the party recently climbed from 8^th to 7^th 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.

Hernandez is optimistic. 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. As it is, Hernandez has already made history by being the first foreign-born citizen to run for public office.

During an interview at the Philippine Embassy by the Internet Broadcast for Migrants in Korea on March 26, Amb. Cruz remarked that Hernandez successfully raised awareness to the need to facilitate the integration and assimilation of foreign spouses and their children into 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, the Ambassador declared, Hernandez is already a winner.

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 like the Lions Club International and featured by media outfits such as the Seoul Broadcasting System, one of South Korea’s largest radio and television networks.

Children, who have completed their kindergarten, study for free and get additional training on the native language of their non-Korean parents—including Filipino. Because of that program’s success, Hernandez has received several requests for expanding the school’s operations.

When approached by the party to become part of its roster of candidates, Hernandez was initially hesitant. “Parang hindi ko yata kaya [I was not sure I could handle it],” she said.

A widow with two teen-age children, she drew strength from her community. Upon meeting with other church members and migrants, Hernandez discarded all second thoughts. “Kailangan talaga ng representation. Naalala ko yung naranasan ko—may maganda, may mapait. Kaya kahit wala akong alam (sa politika, tinuloy ko na.) Lahat naman mapapag-aralan. [There really is a need for representation. I remember my experiences, both beautiful and bitter. (So I decided to run) even if I had no experience in politics. After all, everything can be learned],” she asserted. END

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