Overseas voters are defined as Korean citizens who have a permanent residency from another country outside of Korea, and do not have residency registered in Korea and a permanent resident number, while absentee voters are those citizens who have residency and a resident number from Korea but who will not be in Korea for the elections such as students studying abroad, employees working overseas and those travelling.

Application for registration can be done by visiting a diplomatic mission, via post or by email.

Especially from the 20th National Assembly elections, through an electoral law amendment, it is possible to register online (via the NEC special homepage http://ova.nec.go.kr). In addition, for the convenience of overseas voters, online applications will not need to attach separate documents such as a copy of the voters'' passport. 

In order to increase the overseas voting participation, the National Election Commission of the Republic of Korea (NEC) has implemented the following strategies: 1) Providing foreign language service on overseas voting website 2) Placing banner ads on major internet portals 3) Promotions using various occasions, including events in the overseas Korean communities 4) Advertisements on satellite TV and newspapers for the Korean community abroad 5) Production and distribution of overseas voting promotional posters and leaflets 6) A public relations campaign using a variety of methods including in-flight advertising on national flag carriers and advertising in Incheon Airport facilities.

In addition, the 169 diplomatic missions across the world will not only be planning promotional activities targeting opinion leaders, including Korean organizations and media, but also there are plans for activities engaging overseas Koreans directly.

The NEC is encouraging the interest and active participation of overseas Koreans when the overseas voting for the 20th National Assembly elections begins in full.

Together with this, the NEC noted that the swift amendment of election laws is necessary for the increased participation of overseas voters on the following matters that are under discussion in the National Assembly: 1) Introduction of permanent overseas voters list 2) Increase in the number of polling stations.