WASHINGTON -- Dozens of South Koreans in the United States, including Ambassador Lee Soo-hyuck, hit the polls early Wednesday as overseas voting in the presidential election began a six-day run.

The South Korean ambassador urged all eligible voters to take part.

"It is an honor to exercise one's right in an event to elect someone who will decide the fate of the country," Lee said.

The South Korean election watchdog earlier said some 226,000 overseas South Koreans have registered to vote in the March 9 election, and that they will be allowed to vote at one of the 219 polling stations in 115 countries.

Lee said there are about 880,000 eligible South Korean voters in the US but that only about 53,000 have registered to vote. (Yonhap)