National Human Rights Commission of Korea Annual Report 2021 check and management. A Police Human Rights Educational Council will be launched, involving external specialized institutions, to advise on long-term educational system, development of programs and content, fostering of instructors, and monitoring of educational outcome. I. ‌Recommendation and opinion expressed on institutional improvement for youth’s increased political participation As part of efforts to facilitate youth political participation, the Commission on December 6 recommended the Minister of the Interior and Safety and the Chairperson of the National Election Commission to revisit the age limit for political party membership and campaigning, and the age limit related to local autonomy. It also expressed an opinion to the Speaker of the National Assembly for early enactment of a bill on youth political participation. With regards Paragraph 1, Article 60 of the Public Official Election Act, which prohibits political campaign by young people younger than 18 years of age, the Commission saw a need to either lower or delete the age limit, given that young people listen to or express political views through various media, and democratic countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France place no legal restrictions on youth participation in elections. Also, in 2019, the voting age was lowered to 18 in the amended Public Official Election Act in 2019, and the age limit for residents to initiate ordinances or call for audits was also lowered to 18 in the revised Local Autonomy Act in December 2021. However, young people 18 years of age cannot exercise their right to vote or to recall as the legal age limit for these rights is set at 19 years or above. Thus, the Commission found it necessary to revise the relevant laws, including the Resident Voting Act and the Recall Act. Though mock elections are effective ways for young people to experience their right to vote, their implementation have been on hold on the ground that they may affect polls and elections. However, the Commission saw a need to develop and distribute educational guidelines in support of mock elections in schools. 48