= Discussions on sharing Korea’s election experience overcoming COVID-19 around the world and responses measures =

The National Election Commission (NEC) of the Republic of Korea announced it would be hosting the 2020 Seoul International Forum on Elections (SIFE) starting at 3pm KST Tuesday, October 27.

SIFE, which was first held in 2015 and is celebrating its sixth year, is an international forum where the National Election Commission invites global experts in the field of democracy and elections from election management bodies and international organizations to discuss the important issues at hand each year.
 
At the forum the NEC’s Standing Commissioner Cho Hai-ju will give opening remarks and the Swedish Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Jakob Hallgren and the Secretary General of the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) Jonghyun Choe will give congratulatory remarks. Election experts from around the world are expected to participate online.

The forum consisted of two sessions under the theme of “Overcoming the Pandemic, Toward Democracy.” The sessions will be as follows:

• Session One: ‘Special Voting in Different Countries: Broadening Time and Geographical Limits.’ Here we will discuss various voting methods in different countries that ensure the right to vote.

• Session Two: ‘Election Management Overcoming COVID-19 in Korea.’ Here we will introduce the experience of the Republic of Korea in successfully managing National Assembly elections amid the COVID-19 crisis and discuss ways these response measures to be used.

The NEC said “through this forum, we expect to present various measures to overcome the common difficulties faced by the international community, along with efforts to ensure the rights and safety of voters beyond the limits of the COVID-19 crisis.”

The 2020 Seoul International Election Forum can be viewed live on NEC’s official YouTube channel on the following link: https://youtu.be/QfGXTtRjaKI

Overview of the 2020 Seoul International Forum on Elections

1. Date and Time: Tuesday October 27, 3pm – 5:50pm (KST)
2. Host: National Election Commission of the Republic of Korea
3. Location: Room 212, National Election Commission
4. Topic: Overcoming the Pandemic, Toward Democracy
5. Online Live Streaming: National Election Commission YouTube Channel
6. Schedule:​