1st day of early voting sees record turnout

Travelers cast their ballots before departure at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Early voting for Korea’s presidential election began Thursday at 6 a.m., with 3,568 polling stations opening nationwide. The two-day early voting period continues on Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

According to the National Election Commission, turnout for the first day of early voting reached 19.58 percent. This marks the highest level of participation at that time since early voting was introduced nationwide in 2014.

Among all regions, South Jeolla Province posted the highest turnout at 34.96 percent, followed by North Jeolla Province with 32.69 percent and Gwangju with 32.1 percent.

During this period, eligible voters can cast their ballots at any voting station nationwide without prior registration, as long as they bring a valid photo ID such as a resident registration card, passport or driver’s license.

From left, Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung votes in Seoul; People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo casts his ballot with his daughter in Incheon; the Reform Party’s Lee Jun-seok votes in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province; and Korean Democratic Labor Party candidate Kwon Young-gook votes in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, Thursday. Yonhap

Major presidential candidates participated in early voting on the first day of the two-day early voting period.

Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung cast his ballot at a polling station in western Seoul's Sinchon area, accompanied by a few university students.

“Voting is the most powerful tool for the sovereign people of the Republic of Korea to exercise their power,” Lee told reporters after casting his ballot, Thursday, encouraging voter participation.

“The ballot is stronger than bullets ... even an insurrection can be overcome through voter turnout,” he stressed, urging young people to vote.

People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo cast his early vote alongside his daughter at a local community center in Incheon’s Gyeyang District — Lee Jae-myung’s home constituency.

“This is the first time I’ve voted with my daughter, and it felt much better and more meaningful than voting alone,” Kim told reporters. “Despite starting from behind, awareness and support have grown quickly, and our final push is now in full swing.”

Kim’s choice of location was a symbolic show of resolve, signaling his willingness to campaign in the stronghold of his political rival. Citing the historic Incheon Landing Operation during the 1950-53 Korean War, he declared, “We must defend a free, democratic Korea ... voting for candidate No. 1 (Lee Jae-myung) will take away our freedom.”

Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok also cast his early ballot at around 10 a.m. at the Dongtan 9-dong polling station in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, which is his home district.

“I chose this location because it’s the closest polling station to my home,” he told reporters.

Lee highlighted the region’s political significance.

“Dongtan made its name known nationwide in the last general election as a constituency with a passion for political change. I’m approaching this election with the same determination to bring about generational, political and national transformation.”

Korean Democratic Labor Party candidate Kwon Young-gook cast his ballot Thursday morning in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province.

"Through the debates, the public has likely seen clearly who is genuinely concerned with the lives of the people," Kwon said after casting his vote. "At the very least, I hope this election leads to the selection of a candidate who can speak for us and represent our interests," he said.

A voter casts a ballot at an early voting station set up at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Political analysts predict that early voting in this year’s presidential election could account for around 50 percent of the total votes, as the system has become deeply entrenched in the electoral process.

Eom Kyeong-young, director of the Zeitgeist Institute, told The Korea Times that early voting was initially introduced to boost turnout by enabling those unable to vote on Election Day — due to out-of-town addresses or scheduling conflicts — to cast their ballots in advance.

“It seems that the original goal has now taken root,” Eom said. “Early voting has become a new habit across all age groups. In the last presidential election, it accounted for over 36 percent of total turnout — nearly half of all votes, given the overall turnout was 77.1 percent. If it exceeds 39 percent this time, it will again represent nearly half of all ballots cast.”

He added that the voting process has effectively become a two-stage system, with early voting serving as an informal “first round.”

“Overall, early voting contributes to a higher total turnout,” he said.

The official Election Day is set for June 3, with polling stations open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

District and municipal election commissions will store early voting and mail-in ballot boxes in locations equipped with surveillance cameras until Election Day. The public can monitor the storage status 24/7 via large screens installed at provincial election commission offices.