David Ryu, one of 14 candidates running for Los Angeles City Council in District 4, held a press conference with Korean media on Monday at his campaign office. One of the aspects of Ryu's campaign has been to encourage more of those who are eligible to register to vote.
Candidates hoping to fill positions in the Los Angeles City Council have been busily campaigning for the March 3 primary elections, including David Ryu, who is running for the position in District 4.
Ryu said that "Phase 1" of his campaign is to encourage the community to register to vote.
"The voter turnout in elections have been decreasing every year," Ryu said, often even lower than 25% of the voter population.
One of the reasons many told Ryu they refuse to register to vote is because they believe registering to vote makes them eligible for jury duty, though citizenship in the U.S. is the only criteria that makes one eligible for jury duty, regardless of voter status.
Ryu explained that people have also become apathetic about voting because they don't see any changes being made even when they vote for certain officials.
Basic needs such as potholes in the road and tree-trimming aren't being met, according to some of the input that Ryu said he's gotten from the people in District 4 that he met during the campaign.
"I want to show people that we can make the changes that they've been asking for," he said. "This is where rubber meets the road. Because more than the mayor, or governor, or any other government official, the city council member affects your life the most."
"I'm not saying that I can make all of those changes, but I will certainly work my hardest to get them done."
Ryu particularly appealed to the Korean population for support at a press conference with Korean media on Monday, and mentioned that he has been serving the Korean community by being involved in various Korean community organizations, including Korean American Coalition, and the Koreatown Youth and Community Center.
Of the Korean population who are eligible to vote in District 4, about 6,000 Koreans have registered. Ryu predicts that there would be an 18 percent voter turnout in March, at which, he said, about 4,000 votes would be enough to win out of the 14 candidates for the position. Ryu's looking to encourage 2,000 new Korean voters to register before the primary elections.
A voter registration booth will be made available right within District 4 at the Korea Times office (4525 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA) from January 5-9 from 9 AM to 12 PM, and from January 12-16 from 3 PM to 7 PM. The office of Korea Daily (690 Wilshire Place, Los Angeles, CA) is also hosting a voter registration booth from 9 AM to 12 PM between January 5-9 and January 12-16.
