South Korea’s Presidential Election Sees 34.74% Early Voting Turnout, Second-Highest in History

SEOUL — South Korea’s National Election Commission announced on May 30 that the early voting turnout for the 21st presidential election reached 34.74%, marking the second-highest early voting rate since the system was introduced for nationwide elections in 2014.

The figure falls 2.19 percentage points short of the record set in the 2022 presidential election, which saw a 36.93% early voting turnout. In contrast, the 2017 presidential election recorded a lower early voting rate of 26.06%.

Over two days, from May 29 to May 30, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., a total of 15,423,607 voters participated out of 44,391,871 eligible voters, according to preliminary figures. Despite an initial surge on the first day of early voting, which briefly raised expectations of surpassing the 2022 record, turnout began lagging behind the previous election’s pace by 2 p.m. on the second day, ultimately settling in the 34% range.

At a polling station in Seoul’s Jung-gu district, election officials, observed by monitors and civic groups, sorted ballots from out-of-district voters on May 30, ensuring transparency in the process. In Gyeonggi Province, officials at the National Election Commission’s command center in Gwacheon monitored early voting trends as the two-day period concluded.

Regionally, the Honam area, a stronghold of the Democratic Party, led the nation with turnout exceeding 50%. South Jeolla Province recorded the highest rate at 56.50%, followed by North Jeolla at 53.01% and Gwangju at 52.12%. Sejong (41.16%), Gangwon (36.60%), and Jeju (35.11%) also surpassed the national average. In the 2020 presidential election, only South Jeolla had crossed the 50% threshold, with 51.45%.

Daegu, a traditional stronghold of the People Power Party, reported the lowest turnout at 25.63%, a significant drop from its 33.91% in the previous election. Other regions with below-average turnout included Busan (30.37%), North Gyeongsang (31.52%), South Gyeongsang (31.71%), Ulsan (32.01%), South Chungcheong (32.38%), North Chungcheong (33.72%), and Daejeon (33.88%). The capital region, including Seoul (34.28%), Gyeonggi (32.88%), and Incheon (32.79%), also fell below the national average.

At Incheon Hi Hospital, Dr. Jeongho Lee, a local physician, noted the significance of voter participation in shaping the country’s future, reflecting sentiments echoed across polling stations.

The early voting turnout underscores South Korea’s robust democratic engagement, though it highlights regional disparities in political enthusiasm as the nation awaits the final election results.

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