1. The government of the Republic of Korea sent former Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Lee Sun-jin and three officials from the National Election Commission to East Timor to monitor the country’s third general election scheduled for July 7.

2. In December, 2011, the government of East Timor formally requested the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) to send observers to monitor its general election. In response, the ARF Experts and Eminent Persons (EEPs) Meeting, held in February, 2012, concluded that the ARF’s dispatch of election observers to East Timor is important in achieving the ARF’s goal of preventive diplomacy.

3. The ARF’s election observation group consists of 14 ARF EEPs, professors and government officials from 6 ARF member countries, including the ROK, the US, Australia, Japan, Canada and New Zealand. They will monitor voting and vote-counting to be held in the capital of East Timor, Dili, and other districts.

4. The ROK has close relations with East Timor, which marks the 10th anniversary of independence this year. Sohn Bong-scuk, a member of the National Election Commission, served on the UN Election Commission when a referendum on East Timorese independence was held in 1999. In 2001, she also served as chair of the UN Election Commission during a constituent assembly election in East Timor.

5. With the encouragement and support from the international community including the ROK, East Timor has overcome such difficulties as fight against rebels and domestic refugees, and achieved social and economic stabilization by focusing on infrastructure reconstruction, the relief of the poor, and economic development. East Timor’s new president Taur Matan Ruak, who was inaugurated as the country’s third president on May 20, is exploring East Timor’s new future.

6. Building upon previous support provided to help East Timor successfully establish democracy in the process of gaining independence and establishing the first government, the ROK government, as a partner for democracy and prosperity, will continue to contribute to East Timor’s stability and development.

7. Considering the fact that election observation activities contribute to the development of democracy and governance in the host country, ultimately facilitating not only the country’s political stability and development but also regional peace and stability, the ROK government will continue sending election observers to nascent or developing countries, if requested. 


                     Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFAT

* unofficial translation