= 42.3% increase when compared with 19th National Assembly elections and 10.9% increase when compared with 20th National Assembly elections

Working-level training for overseas missions, including the diplomatic staff in charge of elections, to be held February 24 to 27 =

The number of voters who registered for overseas voting for the 21st National Assembly has been preliminarily confirmed as 177,099, with 176,960 applying to diplomatic missions and 139 people applying from within Korea. 

The National Election Commission (NEC) of the Republic of Korea announced that 147,175 people had registered as overseas absentees and 29,924 people registered as overseas voters  (including 19,530 who were on the permanent voters list) had registered for overseas voting for the 21st National Assembly''s as of 7pm on February 17 (Seoul time).

The figure was 8.24 percent of the estimated 2.14 million overseas voters, an increase of 42.3 percent from 124,424 in the 19th National Assembly elections and an increase of 10.9 percent from 159,636 in the 20th National Assembly elections.

Historic Registrations for Overseas Registrations

By diplomatic mission, the highest number of registrations was to vote for the Embassy in Japan with 9,044 registrations, followed by registrations for the consulate in Ho Chi Minh with 8,635 registrations and the consulate in Los Angeles with 8,025 registrations. When looking by country, the most registrations were to vote in the United States with 42,062 registrations, followed by Japan with 23,158 registrations and China with 20,797 registrations, and these three countries accounted for 48.5 percent of the total number of registrations.

The overseas voters list will be drawn up in a period of 10 days from February 26 to March 6 and will be confirmed on March 16 after a period of voters been able to check it and file objections.

The NEC said that the number of registrations for overseas elections has increased when compared with the 20th National Assembly elections for a number of reasons including:

• Overseas Koreans’ high interest in the 21st National Assembly elections.

• The establishment of systems to improve the ways voters can participate such as allowing internet registration, the introduction of additional polling stations, and allowing voters to cast their ballot in Korea if they return. 

• The proactive actions of the 20 overseas elections managers dispatched to diplomatic missions

• Diverse PR campaigns including TV and radio commercials on Korean channels, advertising at international airports (Incheon, Gimpo) and ports (Busan, Incheon), in-flight advertising on international routes and customized information for overseas Koreans on social media such as Youtube. 

In addition, the NEC will provide election management training for overseas elections at the Korean Civic Education Institute for Democracy (KOCEI) office in Suwon from February 24 to 27.

The training will be divided into two sessions for a total of 203 people, including 164 diplomatic officials from 164 missions involved in overseas elections in 116 countries, 29 managers of 26 additional polling stations and 10 election officials from other polling stations such as 4 at military bases. 

The first round will be conducted for 102 people from diplomatic missions in Asia, the Middle East and Africa from February 24 to 25, whilst the second round will be conducted for 101 people from diplomatic missions from the Americas and the European region from February 26 and 27.

The training will be focused on practical tasks such as how to set up overseas polling stations, how to manage overseas voting and how to operate ballot paper printers.

The NEC said it will further strengthen public relations activities so that the high interest and enthusiasm for participation in overseas elections can continue until election day, whilst managing the elections flawlessly so that every ballot by overseas voters can be properly reflected.​