SEOUL, South Korea - As the second day of early voting for South Korea's parliamentary elections commenced, over 20 percent of eligible voters had already cast their ballots, indicating a high level of engagement in the electoral process. The National Election Commission (NEC) reported that by the early hours of Saturday, the turnout had significantly increased, offering citizens until 6 p.m. to vote at one of the 3,565 polling stations nationwide. Those unable to participate in early voting have the option to vote on the official Election Day, Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, on Friday, 6,910,510 out of the 44,280,011 eligible voters participated, marking a first-day turnout rate of 15.61 percent. This figure set a new record for the first day of early voting in South Korea's parliamentary elections since the introduction of the early voting system in 2014. Notably, all 17 major cities and provinces across the country saw a turnout exceeding 10 percent, with South Jeolla Province leading at 23.6 percent and Seoul close behind at 15.83 percent.
By 11 a.m. on Saturday, the turnout had surged to 20.51 percent, with 9,079,657 voters having cast their ballots, surpassing the 16.46 percent recorded at the same point during the previous parliamentary elections in 2020. South Jeolla Province continued to demonstrate high voter engagement, leading with a turnout of 29.91 percent, while Daegu reported the lowest at 16.26 percent.
This election is pivotal for the ruling People Power Party, as a failure to secure a majority could jeopardize President Yoon Suk Yeol's effectiveness for the remainder of his term. Conversely, the main opposition Democratic Party aims to maintain its parliamentary majority following a landslide victory in the last elections.
A recent survey by Yonhap News Agency and Yonhap News TV revealed a strong voter commitment, with 80 percent of respondents indicating they would definitely vote. Among these, 39 percent planned to utilize the early voting period, while 58 percent intended to vote on Election Day, underscoring the electorate's active participation in the democratic process.