South Koreans turn out in record numbers for early voting as presidential hopefuls vow change
A woman casts her early vote for the upcoming presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, on May 29, 2025. (Photo: Reuters/Kim Hong-ji)
SEOUL: South Koreans turned out in record numbers for early voting on Thursday (May 29) ahead of next week's snap presidential election, official data showed, as both leading candidates urged voters to back them to change a country in crisis.
The Jun 3 election comes after months of political turmoil and a power vacuum following the ouster of former leader Yoon Suk Yeol over a botched attempt to impose martial law.
"In order to overcome the current crisis ... and start again as a Korea of recovery and growth, please vote," Lee said after casting his ballot alongside young voters in a university district.
His comment came after the Bank of Korea cut interest rates on Thursday and slashed its 2025 growth forecast for Asia's fourth-largest economy to 0.8 per cent from 1.5 per cent previously.
On Wednesday, Lee pledged to establish a new Ministry of Climate and Energy to "respond to the climate crisis", and expand and reorganise the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to promote equal rights and deal with any reverse discrimination.
About 8.7 million people, or 19.6 per cent of total eligible voters, had voted as of 6pm (5pm Singapore time), according to National Election Commission data, the highest turnout for the equivalent period in a presidential poll and compared with 17.6 per cent in the 2022 vote.
South Korea has 44.39 million eligible voters and early voting is allowed on Thursday and Friday.
The last published Gallup Korea poll before the blackout period put Lee at 49 per cent public support, followed by Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party with 35 per cent and the New Reform Party's Lee Jun-seok on 11 per cent.
Kim and Lee Jun-seok also voted on Thursday.
"Without voting, there is no hope for the country," Kim said after voting in Democratic Party frontrunner Lee's constituency.
"If you vote for (Lee), there will be no freedom for the country," he said, warning his main opponent would abuse his party's parliamentary majority.
Kim had narrowed a gap of more than 20 percentage points with Lee Jae-myung at the start of the campaign on May 12, but has failed to convince Lee Jun-seok to drop out and back him to improve his chances.
