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Seoul Free School Meal Ordinance Question, 2011
A Seoul Free School Meal Ordinance Question was voted on by residents of the city of Seoul in South Korea on August 24, 2011. This measure was defeated because it received a turnout rate of 25.7%, which was lower than the required rate of 33%.[1]
The measure sought to reverse the free meal ordinance which was passed by city officials in 2010. It allowed for free meals at all elementary schools in the city after March 2011.[2]The school lunches were designed to be provided for any student that wants them, regardless of parental finances.[3]
Background
Though this was the first referendum held in Seoul, three previous elections had been held in different cities in South Korea and none reached the 33% turnout needed to be valid.[4]
Path to the ballot
This question was put on the ballot by a petition drive that collected 800,000 signatures. A total of 418,000 valid signatures were needed to qualify the petition. A group challenged the validity of the collected signatures and whether or not enough valid signatures had been collected.[5][6] On July 13, 2011, the government announced that there were enough signatures collected to go ahead with the referendum.[7]
Additional reading
- The Korea Herald, "Civic groups take legal action against mayor," August 18, 2011
- Yonhap News Agency, "Lee to cast absentee ballot in referendum on Seoul's free lunch program," August 12, 2011
- The Korea Times, "School meal vote planned Aug. 24," July 25, 2011
- The Korea Herald, "Seoul's referendum on free lunch to be held in late August," July 20, 2011
- The Hankyohre, "End Mayor Oh’s free school lunch referendum," July 12, 2011
- Yonhap News, "Civic groups demand Seoul hold referendum on free school lunches," June 16, 2011
- Korea JoongAng Daily, "Mayor Oh takes big gamble on lunch referendum," January 12, 2011
Footnotes
- ↑ The Korea Herald, "Seoul Mayor's free meal referendum fails," August 25, 2011
- ↑ The Korea Herald, "Seoul to hold first plebiscite vote on free school meals," June 16, 2011
- ↑ The Korea Times, "Residents to vote on free lunch," May 24, 2011
- ↑ Joongang Daily, "Battle over lunches to climax Wednesday," August 22, 2011
- ↑ The Korea Times, "Coalition to review procedure in free meal vote," June 22, 2011
- ↑ The Korea Times, "Court to review vote on free school meal," July 11, 2011
- ↑ Joongang Daily, "Signatures suffice vote on free meal," July 13, 2011
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