South Koreans begin early voting ahead of crucial presidential election

Early voting for South Korea’s presidential election opened on Thursday, with voters casting their ballots ahead of the official June 3 poll. The election follows a turbulent political period triggered by former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed attempt to suspend civilian rule last year.

Liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung leads the race, with a recent Gallup poll showing him favored by 49 percent of respondents. Conservative contender Kim Moon-soo, former labor minister and member of the ruling People Power Party — Yoon’s previous party — holds 35 percent support.

Early voting, introduced in 2013 to aid those unable to vote on election day, runs through Thursday and Friday. It has grown in popularity, with 37 percent of ballots cast early in the 2022 presidential election.

The National Election Commission reported a record early turnout of 3.55 percent by 9 a.m. Thursday, the highest ever recorded for that time in South Korean electoral history.

Lee Jae-myung is expected to vote in Seoul Thursday morning as the race intensifies ahead of next month’s election.