Early voting turnout for by-elections hits record high of over 20 percent
Employees of the National Election Commission Seoul's office collect ballots at a polling station in the Namyoung area in Seoul's Jung District, Saturday, after the early voting period for the Apeil 7 by-elections ended earlier that day. Yonhap
The turnout for early voting in next week's by-elections came to 20.54 percent, the highest in South Korea's by-election history, the election authorities said Saturday.
During the two-day advance voting period that ended 6 p.m. that day, 2.49 million of the 12.16 million eligible voters cast their ballots, according to the National Election Commission (NEC).
The previous record high of 19.40 percent was posted in the Oct. 29 by-elections in 2014.
In the 2018 local elections, the early voting turnout stood at 20.14 percent.
South Koreans will choose new mayors of Seoul and Busan as well as 19 other public officials in the April 7 by-elections.
In the capital, 1.84 million people, or 21.95 percent, voted early, as did 547,000 in the southern port city of Busan with a turnout of 18.65 percent. (Yonhap)