Foreign voters hit record high, but low turnout limits influence

The number of foreign nationals eligible to vote in South Korea’s local elections has grown large enough to form a noticeable voting bloc in some major cities.

Their overall electoral influence, however, remains limited by persistently low voter turnout.

According to data from the National Election Commission, foreign residents account for 1.8 percent of all eligible voters in Ansan and Siheung, industrial cities in Gyeonggi Province with populations of around 600,000 each, ahead of the June 3 l ...