South Korea has witnessed a remarkable surge in early voting turnout for its upcoming parliamentary elections, reaching a historic high of 31.28 percent, according to data released by the National Election Commission (NEC) on Saturday.
Out of 44,280,011 eligible voters, 13,849,043 participated in early voting across 3,565 polling stations nationwide over the past two days. This marks a significant increase from the 26.69 percent turnout recorded during the 2020 parliamentary elections, setting a new benchmark for early voting since its introduction in the 2014 local elections.
The parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place on April 10, and the heightened early turnout reflects a growing engagement among South Korean citizens.
Additionally, overseas voting has reached an unprecedented turnout of 62.8 percent. This overseas voting system, which has been in place since 2012, allows domestic voters residing abroad to cast their ballots over a six-day period concluding on Monday.
A Gallup Korea survey commissioned by the NEC revealed that 78.9 percent of respondents expressed their intention to vote “without fail,” a figure that remains steady compared to the 79.0 percent reported in the previous elections four years ago. The survey, conducted last Sunday and Monday, polled 1,511 voters with a margin of error of plus and minus 2.5 percentage points at a 95-percent confidence level.
This surge in voter participation highlights a robust democratic engagement in South Korea, setting the stage for a highly participatory parliamentary election.
Reference(s):
ROK's early voting turnout for parliamentary polls hits record high
cgtn.com
