SEOUL, South Korea - During the second and final day of early voting for the parliamentary elections, more than 10 million voters have already cast their ballots, setting a new precedent for voter turnout in the nation. The National Election Commission (NEC) reported that by 1 p.m. on Saturday, 10,365,722 out of the 44,280,011 eligible voters participated, resulting in a turnout rate of 23.41 percent. This figure surpasses the 19.08 percent turnout recorded at the same time during the previous parliamentary elections in 2020.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Voters have until 6 p.m. on Saturday to make their voices heard at one of the 3,565 polling stations across the country. Those unable to participate in early voting will have another chance on the official Election Day, Wednesday. The early-voting system, introduced in 2014, has seen a significant increase in participation, with about 6.9 million voters, or 15.61 percent, going to the polls on Friday, marking a record turnout for the first day of early voting in parliamentary elections.
The turnout on the first day of early voting exceeded 10 percent across all 17 major cities and provinces, with South Jeolla Province leading at 23.6 percent and Seoul following at 15.83 percent. As of Saturday, South Jeolla Province continued to lead with a 32.96 percent turnout, while Daegu reported the lowest at 18.79 percent.
The current elections are of paramount importance to the ruling People Power Party (PPP), as a failure to secure a majority could critically affect President Yoon Suk Yeol's capacity to govern effectively during the remaining three years of his term. Meanwhile, the main opposition Democratic Party seeks to maintain the parliamentary majority it secured in the last elections.
A recent survey by Yonhap News Agency and Yonhap News TV indicated that 80 percent of respondents are committed to voting, with 39 percent preferring to vote during the early-voting period and 58 percent planning to vote on Election Day, highlighting the electorate's engagement in the democratic process.