Voter turnout surpasses 70 pc in South Korea's presidential election

Seoul, June 3 (IANS) Voter turnout for South Korea's presidential election has surpassed the 70 per cent mark, 10 hours after voting began early Tuesday, the election watchdog said.

Of the total 44.39 million eligible voters nationwide, 31.73 million, or 71.5 per cent, had cast their ballots as of 4 p.m., according to the National Election Commission (NEC). Voting began at 6 a.m. at 14,295 polling stations across the country and will go on till 8 p.m.

The provisional tally includes the votes cast in early voting, as well as overseas, shipboard, and absentee ballots.

The turnout was the highest recorded at the said time of day in any presidential election, Yonhap news agency reported.

More than 15.42 million, or 34.74 per cent of the registered voters, had cast their ballots in the early voting held on Thursday and Friday. It was the second-highest figure since early voting was introduced in 2014.

The election takes place exactly six months after Yoon declared martial law in a surprise announcement that evoked dark memories of past military regimes and plunged the nation into the worst economic and political crisis in decades.

Lee Jae-myung, the candidate of the liberal Democratic Party, campaigned on a pledge to overcome the "insurrection forces" led by Yoon in the wake of his impeachment and removal from office less than three years into his five-year term.

Kim Moon-soo, the candidate of the conservative People Power Party, seized on Lee's many ongoing trials and aggressive leadership style to promise a future free of "dictatorship".

While the two main contenders cast their ballots during the early voting period, other major political figures voted on Election Day.

Former President Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, cast their ballots at a polling station in southern Seoul.

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik voted at a polling station in northern Seoul, saying he hopes the nation overcomes the political "chaos" and moves toward a "democratic society" through the election.

--IANS

int/jk/vd