Home > National > Politics

Daegu voters mark country's biggest Election Day turnout after sluggish early voting

Published: 03 Jun. 2025, 16:19

People line up to vote at a polling station in Daegu on June 3. [YONHAP]

Daegu saw the lowest turnout rate at 25.63 percent during the two-day early voting period last week. Perhaps that low figure triggered its residents to go out and vote as the voting turnout suddenly skyrocketed early Tuesday morning, showing the highest turnout rate up until 1 p.m.

“I came to vote early because everyone around me said they had already voted early,” one voter said. “I didn’t want to be the only one who didn’t.”

Although the city recorded the lowest early voting turnout in the country at 25.63 percent on May 29 and 30, it saw strong participation on the main voting day.

Many residents in the conservative-leaning city cited suspicions about election fraud in early voting as a reason for staying away from it.

“Just because Daegu had a low early voting rate, it doesn't mean we don't vote,” a voter surnamed Bae said after voting at Jangdong Elementary School in Dalseo District. “I waited for the main voting day because of doubts about early voting, and came here first thing this morning.”

Lee Ji-an, 35, also came early to vote.

“I wanted to cast my vote to pass on a better country to my child,” Lee said.

Busan, another region with low early voting turnout, also saw a busy morning at the polls.

The line stretched about 150 meters (492 feet) aound 8:30 a.m. at the No. 2 polling station for Uje 2-dong,

“Seniors began arriving as early as 5:35 a.m. and waited about 30 minutes for the polls to open,” a volunteer helping direct voters said. “From the moment voting began at 6 a.m., more people showed up than expected, and the line hasn’t stopped growing.”

A voter surnamed Kim, 56, voted and said that they persuaded their son to come vote with them by offering him some allowance.

“I voted with the mindset that I would choose a clean and honest candidate,” Kim said.

Some couples were seen holding hands as they returned home after voting.

“I came to elect a president who will unify a country divided between progressives and conservatives,” said Ahn Sang-rok, 59, who attended a polling station with his wife. “The economy isn’t something a president can control directly, but I believe they can ease social division, and that’s why I voted.”

Another voter surnamed Shim, 37, said voting is a “natural right as a citizen.”

“It’s not that I have a favorite candidate,” Shim said. “I just didn’t want one specific candidate to win, so I voted to prevent that.”

Meanwhile in Gwangu, on the other side of the country and traditionally considered the opposite side of the political spectrum, from early morning on Tuesday, the day of the 21st presidential election, voters streamed into Ochi Elementary School in, Gwangju.

Several middle-aged women who had just voted around 7:30 a.m. took ballot selfies in front of a sign that read “No. 2 polling station for Ochi 2-dong.”

One couple walking out of the polling place asked their daughter, “Did you vote well?” to which she replied, “Perfectly.”

“I came to the polling station to exercise a natural right,” Han Kang-sik said. “I hope the next president puts the people first.”

Park Yoon-seok, 52, also voted early in the morning.

“I felt that I had to vote before work,” Park said. “I hope whoever is elected this time finishes their term without any scandals.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHOI KYEONG-HO, LEE EUN-JI, BAEK KYUNG-SEO AND HWANG HEE-GYU [[email protected]]