NEC Secretary General Kim Yong-Hi Gives Special Lecture on Overseas Voting 

to Heads of Overseas Missions

The lecture requested the neutrality of the missions and emphasized safe polling station management

The Secretary General of the National Election Commission (NEC) of the Republic of Korea Kim Yong-Hi gave a lecture entitled Overseas Voting Management Measures for the 20th National Assembly Elections to 177 heads of overseas missions from around the world at the Lotte hotel on Wednesday, March 16. 

Secretary General Kim asked for the heads of the overseas missions’ to actively fulfill their roles to achieve free and fair overseas voting. These roles include:

• Ensuring the neutrality of overseas missions;

• Create an atmosphere of participation for overseas voting;

• Prepare measures for the security of important information;

• Prepare measures for the safe management of polling stations.

In particular, he emphasized that the regulations against exerting undue influence on elections for public officials have been strengthened and called on the overseas missions to carry out election management in a neutral and objective manner in order to prevent any controversies about the fairness of the elections. He also asked the heads of the overseas missions to pay special attention to make the election an opportunity to increase the rights and interests of overseas Koreans and to create harmony among the overseas Korean community. 

In addition, he also introduced the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB), where he also holds the position of Secretary General and asked for the active interest and cooperation of the heads of the overseas missions. His introduction included details on the A-WEB projects and training in countries such as the Kyrgyz Republic and Kenya to advance democracy and elections.

In this election 154,217 registered overseas voters participate in voting from March 30 until April 4 at times determined by each overseas voting committee in 198 polling stations around the world.  

The Secretary General of the NEC Kim Yong-Hi encourages overseas missions to maintain their strict political neutrality