= NEC hosts Election Visitor Program during the 19th presidential election for election officials and experts to learn
about Korea’s election system =

The National Election Commission (NEC) of the Republic of Korea held an Election Visitor Program for nearly 70 election officials from around the world and experts from international organizations from May 4 to May 10 during the 19th presidential election. The aim of the program was to introduce Korea’s election system and allow foreign election officials to share ideas of best practices in election management.

After participants arrived in Korea on May 4, the program began with a full introduction of the Korean election system as a whole on May 5, which culminated in visiting early voting polling stations in the late afternoon. Over the weekend, participants were able to take in Korean culture and some election campaigning on May 6 before joining other election experts to take part in the Seoul International Forum on Elections on May 7. 

Before the election itself the program also included visits to the National Election Commission, the Korean Civic Education Institute for Democracy and the National Assembly on May 8. This gave the participants the opportunity to ask questions to experts from these three key institutes in Korean democracy. 

On May 9, the election day itself, participants were able to view all parts on the election process, including the opening of the polling stations, voting, the closing of the polling stations and the counting process. The day after election day a debriefing was held for participants to share their experiences and discuss what they had found during the program. 

The program was part of the NEC’s continued efforts to spread Korea’s election management system and culture and was held alongside the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and supported by the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB). ​