MANILA, Philippines?A Filipino woman from Cavite is making history in South Korea as the first foreign-born candidate for a seat in the Korean National Assembly, according to the Philippine Embassy in Seoul.

Judith A. Hernandez is the first candidate not of Korean lineage to run for the Philippine equivalent of a congressional seat. She 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.

According to Ambassador to Korea Luis T. Cruz, Hernandez arrived in that country more than 15 years ago when she married a Korean national.

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

Globalization

During a meeting with 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.

She said Korean society was opening up as national and local governments had begun institutionalizing programs aimed at fostering a more global outlook. Her very entry into politics 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. [Her] candidature has so far enjoyed warm response. Her ranking in the party recently climbed from 8th to 7th out of more than 20 hopefuls,? Cruz said.

Securing a position

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.

Cruz said Hernandez was optimistic since South Korean law limits the campaign period to only two weeks, with the last day ending at midnight prior to the elections. She has enlisted the support of migrant communities and has appeared on various Korean television shows and print media.