Voter turnout exceeds 79%, highest in 28 years
More than 79 percent of eligible voters had cast their ballots by the time polls closed on Tuesday, marking the highest turnout since the 1997 presidential election, according to the National Election Commission.
The polls were open between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day — two hours longer than usual, as stipulated for early elections. Including last week's two days of early voting, 35,240,416 out of 44,391,871 eligible voters cast their ballots, amounting to 79.4 percent, the NEC reported. The turnout was 2.3 percentage points higher than during the same period in the 2022 presidential election.
By region, Gwangju posted the highest turnout at 83.9 percent, while Jeju Province recorded the lowest at 74.6 percent. Seoul reported 80.1 percent turnout.
South Korea marked its highest voter turnout in 1987 at 89.2 percent — the same year direct presidential elections were introduced under the reforms of the 1987 Constitution. The last time turnout exceeded 80 percent was in 1997, when 80.7 percent of voters participated and opposition leader Kim Dae-jung defeated ruling party candidate Lee Hoi-chang.
Turnout then steadily declined, falling as low as 63 percent in 2007. It only rebounded to 77.1 percent in 2022, when then-candidate Yoon Suk Yeol defeated Lee Jae-myung, who was this election's front-runner.
The June 3 election was held to fill the leadership vacuum triggered by the impeachment and removal of former President Yoon, following his controversial declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024.
Of all eligible voters, 34.74 percent cast their ballots in early voting last week on Thursday and Friday — the second-highest early voting turnout recorded in a presidential race, just behind the 36.93 percent logged in the 2022 presidential election. The early turnout figure also includes overseas, absentee and onboard voting.
After the polls closed, ballot boxes were transported to counting centers, where vote counting began immediately.
The NEC projected that 70 to 80 percent of votes would be counted by midnight, likely providing a clear indication of the winner. In the closely contested 2022 election, Yoon emerged as the clear winner at around 2 a.m. the next day. In the 2017 election, Moon Jae-in's lead was evident as early as 10 p.m. on election night.
Detailed turnout information is available on the NEC's official website at info.nec.go.kr.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
8 hours ago
- Korea Herald
What to expect from three special probes targeting Yoon, wife
South Korea is set to begin an unprecedented trio of special counsel investigations into former President Yoon Suk Yeol, his wife Kim Keon Hee, and the death of a Marine during Yoon's term. With President Lee Jae Myung's approval of three special counsel bills on June 10, the probes mark a significant escalation in efforts to address allegations that the previous administration was shielded from scrutiny. Led by special prosecutors Cho Eun-suk, Min Joong-ki and Lee Myeong-hyeon, the probes are slated to begin as early as July after a mandatory 20-day preparation period ends on June 30. Nearly 600 personnel, including some 120 prosecutors, will be mobilized, making it the largest special counsel operation in South Korean history. While the prosecution and police previously conducted investigations into the same matters, critics, including then-opposition Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers, accused those probes of being superficial and biased in favor of the former presidential couple. Those earlier efforts took place when Yoon was suspended from duty but still in office, pending a Constitutional Court ruling. Unlike those probes, the special counsels operate independently from existing law enforcement and are designed to minimize political interference, aiming to restore public trust in state institutions. President Lee has framed the launch of the special counsels as a response to public demand for accountability and a reaffirmation of constitutional principles. The triple probes could reshape South Korea's political landscape, potentially deepening partisan divides or prompting broader legal and institutional reforms, depending on their outcomes. With the official launch of the special prosecutor investigation, previously separate investigations by the prosecution, police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials will be consolidated under a single investigative body. The three, citing their respective jurisdictions, once vied for control over the investigation into Yoon after his martial law declaration in December 2024. Though a joint investigative team was formed among the CIO, the Korean National Police Agency's National Office of Investigation, and the Defense Ministry, the prosecution was excluded. This divide drew criticism from many people, citing a lack of credibility and fairness. It was also considered to have provided Yoon with the grounds to reject interrogation by the CIO, and led to confusion between the prosecution and the CIO when calculating the then president's detention period, according to Lee Yun-je, a law professor at Myongji University. 'The special counsel bill allows the investigation team to bring all investigation records and evidence together in one place. The special prosecutor team is likely to gain momentum in investigating different allegations surrounding Yoon, with additional summonses for questioning or a search and seizure operation based on the records,' the professor added. Though Yoon was arrested by the CIO for interrogation in January, he remained silent and insisted that the CIO did not have jurisdiction to interrogate him. The ousted president was indicted by the prosecutors without investigation in late January. The police have also summoned Yoon for questioning three times since the Seoul Central District Court revoked his detention in mid-March. But the former president rejected the summons to appear for questioning over charges related to his short-lived martial law declaration. Two other independent counsel teams, tasked to probe suspicions against the former first lady and Yoon's alleged interference in the investigation into the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun, will conduct their investigation in the single investigative body as well. Public access to probes Regular briefings on the investigation process will also be held. According to the Special Prosecutor Act, for the investigations of Yoon and his wife, the special prosecutor or assistant special prosecutor 'may brief the media on the investigation, excluding the details of the charges, to ensure the public's right to know." This will enable the special prosecutor teams to share the outcomes of certain case proceedings with the public, including summonses, searches and seizures, warrant requests, and others, similarly to the independent counsel probe into former President Park Geun-hye and her confidante Choi Soon-sil in 2016. The Seoul Central District Court originally held Yoon's criminal trial hearings behind closed doors, citing Article 57 of the Court Organization Act. This stipulates that hearings may be closed to the public by court decision if there is 'concern that they could compromise national security, public order or violate good morals.' However, the Special Prosecutor Act mandates that the trials and hearings for related cases must be public. It states that live broadcasting is permitted if a request is made by the special prosecutor or the defendant, unless there are special circumstances as well. All three special prosecutor bills stipulate that the cases, which were indicted or set to be taken over by the special counsels for continued prosecution, will proceed in non-military courts. This means that the criminal trials of high-ranking military officials on insurrection charges, which were previously held in military courts, will now be conducted in the district courts. Meanwhile, Yoon's criminal trial, which is currently being heard at the Seoul Central District Court, could be transferred to a different court. The Special Prosecutor Act allows the special prosecutor to merge ongoing cases with new related cases, which could be assigned to a different panel once Yoon is indicted on different criminal charges. According to the Special Prosecutor Act, the cases, which are indicted by the special prosecutors, shall be conducted promptly, taking precedence over other trials. To ensure swiftness in the trials, the district court and high court are required to deliver their verdicts in these cases within six months and three months, respectively.
Korea Herald
13 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Shareholder voting rights, private equity fund limit
The Korea Herald republishes a weekly legislative report by local law firm DR & AJU LLC to provide the latest information on bills approved, proposed, pending and set to be promulgated. — Ed. Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Commercial Act Proposed by Rep. Lee Jung-mun (Democratic Party of Korea) ● The bill would broaden the scope of directors' duty of loyalty to include shareholders as well as the company, and limit the largest shareholder's voting rights to three percent when appointing audit committee members. Proposed Bill: Partial Amendment to the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act Proposed by Rep. Kim Hyun-jung (Democratic Party of Korea) ● The bill would reduce the borrowing limit for private equity funds from 400 percent to 200 percent of their net asset value. It would also require them to report to the Financial Services Commission any conflict of interest and measures for its control in asset transactions through SPCs or related-party deals. Pending Bill: Partial Amendment to the Distribution Industry Development Act Proposed by Rep. Oh Sae-hee (Democratic Party of Korea) ● This bill would mandate the head of a local government to designate compulsory closedown dates and impose business hour restrictions on superstores, while requiring that the closedown dates be selected from public holidays. Promulgated Bill: Act on the Improvement of Urban Areas and Residential Environments Competent Authority: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport ● Effective June 4, the amended law has significantly eased the standards and requirements for reconstruction safety inspections. It exempts apartment buildings over 30 years old from mandatory safety inspections required for reconstruction projects. Administrative Announcement: Partial Amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources Competent Authority: Ministry of Environment ● The draft amendment would expand the scope of products subject to mandatory recovery and recycling to include plastic toys, which must meet a recycling rate annually determined by the Ministry of Environment. For queries about the bills, contact cr@
Korea Herald
13 hours ago
- Korea Herald
What to expect from triple special probes targeting Yoon, wife
South Korea is set to begin an unprecedented trio of special counsel investigations into former President Yoon Suk Yeol, his wife Kim Keon Hee, and the suspicious death of a Marine during Yoon's term. With President Lee Jae Myung's approval of three special counsel bills on June 10, the probes mark a significant escalation in efforts to address allegations that the previous administration was shielded from scrutiny. Led by special prosecutors Cho Eun-suk, Min Joong-ki and Lee Myeong-hyeon, the probes are slated to begin as early as July after a mandatory 20-day preparation period ends on June 30. Nearly 600 personnel, including some 120 prosecutors, will be mobilized, making it the largest special counsel operation in South Korean history. While the prosecution and police previously conducted investigations into the same matters, critics, including then-opposition Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers, accused those probes of being superficial and biased in favor of the former presidential couple. Those earlier efforts took place when Yoon was suspended from duty but still held office, pending a Constitutional Court ruling. Unlike those probes, the special counsels operate independently from existing law enforcement and are designed to minimize political interference, aiming to restore public trust in state institutions. President Lee has framed the launch of the special counsels as a response to public demand for accountability and a reaffirmation of constitutional principles. The triple probes could reshape South Korea's political landscape, potentially deepening partisan divides or prompting broader legal and institutional reforms, depending on their outcomes. With the official launch of the special prosecutor investigation, previously separate investigations by the prosecution, police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials will be consolidated under a single investigative body. The three, citing their respective jurisdictions, once vied for control over the investigation into Yoon after his martial law declaration in December 2024. Though a joint investigative team was formed among the CIO, the Korean National Police Agency's National Office of Investigation, and the Defense Ministry, the prosecution was excluded. This divide drew criticism from many people, citing a lack of credibility and fairness. It was also considered to have provided Yoon with the grounds to reject interrogation by the CIO, and led to confusion between the prosecution and the CIO when calculating the then president's detention period, according to Lee Yun-je, a law professor at Myongji University. 'The special counsel bill allows the investigation team to bring all investigation records and evidence together in one place. The special prosecutor team is likely to gain momentum in investigating different allegations surrounding Yoon, with additional summons for questioning or a search and seizure operation based on the records,' the professor added. Though Yoon was arrested by the CIO for interrogation in January, he remained silent and insisted that the CIO did not have jurisdiction to interrogate him. The ousted president was indicted by the prosecutors without investigation in late January. The police have also summoned Yoon for questioning three times since the Seoul Central District Court revoked his detention in mid-March. But the former president rejected the summons to appear for questioning over charges related to his short-lived martial law declaration. Two other independent counsel teams, tasked to probe suspicions against the former first lady and Yoon's alleged interference in the investigation into the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun will conduct their investigation in the single investigative body as well. Public access to probes Regular briefings on the investigation process will also be held. According to the Special Prosecutor Act for the investigations on Yoon and his wife, the special prosecutor or assistant special prosecutor 'may brief the media on the investigation, excluding the details of the charges, to ensure the public's right to know." This will enable the special prosecutor teams to share the outcomes of certain case proceedings to the public, including summons, searches and seizures, warrant requests, and others, similarly to the independent counsel probe into former President Park Geun-hye and her confidante Choi Soon-sil in 2016. The Seoul Central District Court originally held Yoon's criminal trial hearings behind closed doors, citing Article 57 of the Court Organization Act. This stipulates that hearings may be closed to the public by court decision if there is 'concern that they could compromise national security, public order or violate good morals.' However, the Special Prosecutor Act mandates that the trials and hearings for related cases must be public. It states that live broadcasting shall be permitted if a request is made by the special prosecutor or the defendant, unless there are special circumstances as well. Changes for swift trials All three special prosecutor bills stipulate that the cases, which were indicted or set to be taken over by the special counsels for continued prosecution, will proceed in non-military courts. This means that the criminal trials of high-ranking military officials on insurrection charges, which were previously held in military courts, will now be conducted in the district courts. Meanwhile, Yoon's criminal trial, which is currently being heard at the Seoul Central District Court, could be transferred to a different court. The Special Prosecutor Act allows the special prosecutor to merge ongoing cases with new related cases, which could be assigned to a different panel after indicting Yoon for different criminal charges. According to the Special Prosecutor Act, the cases, which are indicted by the special prosecutors, shall be conducted promptly, taking precedence over other trials.
