Early voting turnout for the June 3 local elections reached an all-time high, drawing attention to whether the final turnout will surpass the "60% barrier" — a threshold crossed only twice in the history of South Korea's local elections.
According to the National Election Commission on Saturday, 10,498,411 of the 44,649,908 eligible voters cast ballots during early voting, held from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, registering a turnout of 23.51%. The figure is 2.89 percentage points higher than the previous record of 20.62% set during the 8th local elections in 2022.
Experts attributed the high early voting turnout to the establishment of the early voting system and a rise in active voters. Lee Jae-mook, a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said, "While some far-right groups are raising allegations of election fraud, public participation is increasing as early voting has taken root as an institution."
For the final turnout to exceed 60%, the main election day turnout must reach at least 36.49%. Local elections have surpassed the 60% turnout mark only twice — in 1995, when the first local elections were held, and in the 7th local elections in 2018, when the Moon Jae-in administration enjoyed approval ratings of around 70% amid factors including the inter-Korean summit.
President Lee Jae-myung said via social networking service (SNS) on Saturday, "Actively participate in voting and clearly show that the people are the owners of this country, where power should be directed, and where the will of the sovereigns lies."
