What foreign voters should know about Korea’s local elections

Thousands of foreign residents in South Korea will be eligible to vote in the June 3 local elections, a little-known right that comes with strict legal responsibilities. Under the Public Official Election Act, foreign nationals aged 18 or older who have held permanent residency status, or an F-5 visa, for at least three years are granted voting rights in municipal elections. As of January 2025, more than 140,000 foreign residents had qualified to vote for local government heads and council membe