The National Election Commission announced a tentative number of overseas voters registered, 124,350, which is 5.57% of the expected total overseas voters (2.23 million) for the National Assembly elections on Apr. 11: among them, 104,314 people (103,322 registered from overseas missions, 992 registered in Korea) have a resident registration or reported domestic residence; and the remaining 20,036 are permanent residents. The registration period for overseas voters and overseas absentees was from Nov. 13 in 2011 to Feb. 11 in 2012 (for 91 days) at 158 overseas missions and Gu·Si·Gun offices.

The number was relatively lower than expected, because overseas voters should make an application in advance unlike the domestic case where voters are on the list according to resident registration or domestic residence report without reporting of voters themselves. In particular, it is believed that the main reason of the low number is the fact that permanent residents should visit overseas missions in person for the registration as well as voting.

The NEC stressed that the outcome is quite good under the difficult circumstances and it will improve the system after the National Assembly elections by analyzing problems in the process in a comprehensive manner.

The NEC thinks that there is a need to improve the system: including adopting a permanent list system which will be used for future elections with one-time registration; adopting a circulating or mail registration system for the convenience of overseas Koreans; and allowing a postal vote for dispatched soldiers and the overseas Koreans who live in countries where there are no overseas missions.

The overseas voters lists will be confirmed on March 12 (30 days before the election day) after they are returned to Korea and gone through the process of drafting (from Feb. 22 to Mar.2). The overseas voters on the list will be able to cast their ballots from abroad for the first time from March 28 to April 2 (for 6 days) at overseas polling stations installed in 158 overseas missions around the world.