Candidates for the April 13 general election began registering with the National Election Commission (NEC), Thursday. Held every four years, the upcoming election will be the first since the National Assembly agreed new constituency boundaries, in line with a Constitutional Court ruling in 2014. A total of 300 lawmakers, including 253 voted in through direct ballots held in their respective constituencies, will gain seats for the next Assembly session. The remaining 47 proportional representation seats will be allocated to parties relative to the overall number of votes they receive. Each candidate will be given an election number once they register. The NEC will accept registration until 6 p.m., Friday, at its local offices nationwide.
It will update the number of registered candidates in real time on its website (http://info.nec.go.kr) and also on its apps for smartphones and other mobile devices.
The NEC will also make public candidates’ pledges, assets, military service records criminal records, academic career and tax payments on its website until April 13.
The elections are expected to serve as a litmus test for the ruling Saenuri Party, main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK) and the minor opposition People’s Party, all of which have experienced internal strife while nominating candidates.
Full Article: Candidacy registration for general election begins.
