South Korea’s presidential election held this Tuesday saw a provisional voter turnout of 79.4%, the highest figure in 28 years, according to the National Election Commission (NEC).
Out of 44.39 million eligible voters nationwide, approximately 35.24 million had cast their ballots by 8:00 p.m., official data showed. This number includes early votes cast last Thursday and Friday—which accounted for a 34.74% turnout—as well as overseas ballots, absentee votes, and ballots from maritime personnel.
The preliminary turnout is the highest since the 1997 presidential election, which recorded an 80.7% participation rate. It is also worth noting that early voting was first introduced in the country during the 2017 elections.
Tuesday’s vote, held to elect a successor to ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, began at 6:00 a.m. across 14,295 polling stations nationwide.
By region, the southwestern city of Gwangju—a stronghold of the liberal Democratic Party—reported the highest turnout at 83.9%, while the southern island of Jeju saw the lowest, at 74.6%. In the capital, Seoul, turnout stood at 80.1%.
