Eligible foreign voters triple since 2014, hitting record high for June 3 elections

“The number of eligible foreign voters for the June 3 local elections has tripled since 2014, according to government election agency data, with Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, topping all cities and districts nationwide. National Election Commission data compiled by The Korea Times shows 151,532 foreign residents are registered to vote in the upcoming local elections, up from 48,428 in 2014. In Korea, foreign nationals aged 18 or older are granted the right to vote in local elections — for mayors, governors, district heads, local councilors and education superintendents — three years after obtaining an F-5 permanent residency visa. Ansan, the most ethnically diverse city in the country, topped the list with 10,174 eligible foreign voters. Two other Gyeonggi Province cities — Bucheon with 8,581 and Suwon with 7,895 — followed. All three host major industrial complexes and offer convenient commutes to Seoul plus affordable housing, making them attractive to foreign workers and immigrants. Within Seoul, Guro District holds the highest number of eligible foreign voters at 6,736, driven lar

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