South Korea has witnessed an impressive surge in early voting participation for its upcoming parliamentary elections. According to the National Election Commission (NEC), early voting turnout reached a historic high of 31.28%, surpassing the previous record of 26.69% set during the 2020 parliamentary elections.
Out of 44,280,011 eligible voters, 13,849,043 cast their ballots at 3,565 polling stations over the past two days. This marks the highest early voting turnout since the system was introduced in the 2014 local elections.
In addition to domestic voters, the overseas voting turnout soared to 62.8%, the highest since the overseas voting system was implemented in 2012. This demonstrates a strong engagement from South Koreans abroad, with the system running for six days through Monday.
A Gallup Korea survey commissioned by the NEC revealed that 78.9% of respondents intend to vote "without fail," maintaining consistent enthusiasm similar to the 79.0% recorded four years ago.
The parliamentary elections are scheduled for April 10, and the current trends suggest a robust participation rate that could significantly influence the political landscape.
Reference(s):
ROK's early voting turnout for parliamentary polls hits record high
cgtn.com
