South Korea Sees Record Early Voting Participation in Local Elections

(MENAFN) Early voting in South Korea’s nationwide local elections has reached its highest level on record, with participation climbing to 23.51%, according to reports citing election authorities.

Data from the national electoral commission shows that 10.49 million out of 44.64 million eligible voters cast their ballots during the two-day advance voting period. This figure surpasses the previous record of 20.62% registered in the 2022 local elections.

Officials noted that turnout on the first day alone reached 11.6%, exceeding the earlier first-day benchmark of 10.18% set in the last local elections. The second day added a further 11.91%, pushing total early participation to 23.51%.

Election data also indicated that voter engagement increased across all major regions compared with the previous local elections. Among them, South Jeolla recorded the highest early voting rate, while Daegu reported the lowest participation among major administrative areas.

The early voting period was held nationwide over two days ahead of the local polls, which will determine key regional leadership positions including mayors, governors, local council members, and education officials across the country.

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