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Early voting closes with second highest turnout in Korea's history

Published: 30 May. 2025, 19:16 Updated: 30 May. 2025, 19:18

KIM JU-YEON
[email protected]

A voter casts a ballot at a polling station set up at Bupyeong District Office in Incheon on May 30, the second day of early voting for the 21st presidential election. [YONHAP]

Early voting for Korea's 21st presidential election ended Friday with a final turnout of 34.74 percent, the second-highest in the country's history, according to the National Election Commission (NEC).

The figure marks a 2.19 percentage point shortfall of the early voting turnout in the previous presidential election in 2022, which recorded 36.93 percent.

As of 6 p.m. Friday, the final day of early voting, 15,423,607 out of 44,391,871 eligible voters across the country had cast their ballots, the NEC said.

By region, South Jeolla saw the highest turnout at 56.5 percent, while Daegu posted the lowest at 25.63 percent. In the capital region, turnout rates were 34.28 percent in Seoul, 32.79 percent in Incheon and 32.88 percent in Gyeonggi.

The remaining voters will now head to the polls on June 3, a state-designated public holiday for the election.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE, KIM JU-YEON [[email protected]]