Early voting in the June 3 local elections reached a record 23.51%, but turnout varied sharply by region. North Jeolla recorded the highest rate at 35.05%, while Daegu posted the lowest at 18.65%, a gap of 16.40 percentage points. Experts said voter enthusiasm tends to run higher in tightly contested areas, while regions where the outcome appears settled or where voters remain undecided showed lower early turnout.
◇ Highest Early Turnout in Strongholds — But Democratic Party Cannot Smile
Honam, the traditional support base of the Democratic Party of Korea, has historically posted high voter turnout, and that elevated turnout has typically translated into Democratic Party support. Yet the high early voting rate in this local election is being read by some as a warning sign for the Democratic Party.
Analysts say that with the People Power Party's influence limited in the region, the surge in voter enthusiasm reflects gains by independent candidates and the Rebuilding Korea Party.
Kim Kwan-young, an independent candidate for North Jeolla governor, said on the 31st that the province's nationwide-leading early voting rate was "a signal flare announcing that North Jeolla politics has come back to life." He added that it was "an expression of self-respect that North Jeolla is by no means a rubber stamp for the central party, and a declaration that the people of North Jeolla will determine their own destiny." Kim is locked in a tight race within the margin of error against Democratic Party candidate Lee Won-taek in various opinion polls.
Gwangju and South Jeolla, which also posted top-tier early voting rates, are likewise seeing the Democratic Party struggle against offensives from independent candidates and the Rebuilding Korea Party.
In the Suncheon mayoral race, successive polls show independent candidate Noh Kwan-kyu building a commanding lead over Democratic Party candidate Son Hun-mo. In the Gangjin county chief race, independent candidate Kang Jin-won is also showing notable momentum. The Rebuilding Korea Party's Jung Cheol-won, running for Damyang county chief, and Lee Yoon-haeng, running for Hampyeong county chief, are seen as approaching winning positions.
◇ Daegu's Early Turnout Jumps — "Main Voting Day Could Be Even Hotter"
Gyeonggi and Incheon, where Democratic Party candidates Park Chan-dae and Choo Mi-ae are leading, recorded relatively low early voting rates. Analysts attributed this to the fact that the regions are not battlegrounds, leaving little incentive for opposition supporters to turn out early.
"In areas that are not battlegrounds, early voting rates are bound to be low," said Lee Jae-mook, a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
The view of Daegu, which posted the lowest turnout among the 16 metropolitan local governments, is different. Daegu has traditionally seen high participation on main voting day, and with Democratic Party candidate Kim Boo-kyum and People Power Party candidate Choo Kyung-ho locked in a race within the margin of error, undecided voters are seen as likely to turn out on the main voting day.
In the 2025 presidential election, Daegu posted one of the highest main voting day turnout rates in the country. Daegu's early voting rate this time was also 3.8 percentage points higher than in the previous local election (14.8%), suggesting that election enthusiasm in the region itself is substantial.
The National Assembly by-election in Pyeongtaek B, Gyeonggi, is also expected to see higher main voting day turnout. Pyeongtaek B, where Democratic Party candidate Kim Yong-nam faces Rebuilding Korea Party candidate Cho Kuk, is considered one of the fiercest battlegrounds, but its early voting rate stood at just 18.39%, below the national average.
"In Pyeongtaek, voters appear strongly inclined to watch the situation until the very end," political commentator Park Sang-byung said. "It can be interpreted as meaning that many voters intend to compare the candidates over the remaining period before deciding."
Meanwhile, Buk-gu A in Busan, where independent candidate Han Dong-hoon faces Democratic Party candidate Ha Jung-woo, posted an early voting rate of 25.57%, above the national average. That figure is 4.3 percentage points higher than Busan's overall early voting rate (21.27%), prompting analysis that Busan's Buk-gu A is leading the election fervor within the region.
◇ Democratic Party: "Our Active Voter Base" vs. People Power Party: "Public Demand to Check the Administration"
The ruling and opposition parties are offering competing interpretations of the record early voting rate, each claiming the result favors their side.
The Democratic Party views the high early turnout as a sign of expanded participation by its active voter base, and therefore as favorable to the party. Party leader Jung Chung-rae argued, "A high early voting rate means there are many active voters, which is favorable to the Democratic Party," adding that it was "the effect of the 'three-member prison gang,' including former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, going around."
The People Power Party, on the other hand, said, "The myth that a high early voting rate favors the Democratic Party has already been broken," interpreting the result as a product of public demand to check the administration. People Power Party Secretary General Jung Hee-yong said, "The high early voting rate is a strong warning from the public against an arrogant power that does not heed the people."
