(LEAD) Voter turnout at 15 pct as of 11 a.m.

South Korea Local Elections See Record Turnout Since 1995

Voter turnout in South Korea's June 3 local elections surpassed 60 percent, the highest rate since the first nationwide local elections in 1995, according to the National Election Commission (NEC).

As of the latest tallies, more than 27.1 million out of 44.64 million eligible voters had cast their ballots, with the final tally still undetermined, Yonhap News reported. The 60.7 percent turnout is less than the 68.4 percent turnout in the 1995 elections but higher than the 60.2 percent recorded in the 2018 polls, the second highest to date. In the previous local elections in 2022, the final turnout was 50.9 percent.

Coverage Comparison

Yonhap News provided multiple updates throughout the day, tracking turnout at various hours. At 9 a.m., turnout stood at 7.4 percent, with 3.32 million votes cast. The southeastern city of Daegu and the eastern province of Gangwon recorded the highest turnout of 9.2 percent each, while the southwestern city of Gwangju had the lowest at 4.8 percent. Seoul's turnout stood at 6.9 percent.

By 11 a.m., turnout had risen to 15 percent, with 6.71 million votes cast. Daegu and Gangwon continued to lead with 18.9 percent and 17.7 percent, respectively, and Gwangju remained lowest at 10.3 percent. Seoul's turnout reached 14.3 percent.

At 1 p.m., turnout reached 46 percent, with 20.51 million votes cast. South Jeolla Province logged the highest turnout of 56.1 percent, followed by North Jeolla Province at 52.2 percent and Gangwon at 51.8 percent. Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul, recorded the lowest turnout of 43 percent. Seoul's turnout stood at 46.1 percent.

By 3 p.m., turnout had reached 51.9 percent, already surpassing the final turnout of the 2022 local elections, with 23.16 million votes cast. South Jeolla Province logged the highest turnout of over 60 percent, followed by Gangwon at 57.2 percent and North Jeolla at 56.3 percent. The southwestern city of Gwangju recorded the lowest turnout of 47.5 percent. Seoul's turnout stood at 52.7 percent.

The 23.51 percent turnout from last week's two-day early voting period was the highest recorded for local elections and was included in the overall turnout tally starting at 1 p.m.

Key Claims

• Turnout in the local elections surpassed 60 percent, the highest rate since the first nationwide local elections in 1995.
• More than 27.1 million out of 44.64 million eligible voters had cast their ballots.
• The 60.7 percent turnout is less than the 68.4 percent turnout in the 1995 elections but higher than the 60.2 percent recorded in the 2018 polls.
• A shortage of ballots at 14 voting stations in Seoul pushed back the end of voting hours at some stations.
• Early voting turnout was the highest recorded for local elections.
• South Jeolla Province logged the highest turnout of over 60 percent.
• The southwestern city of Gwangju recorded the lowest turnout of 47.5 percent.
• Turnout in the local elections was tentatively tallied at 61 percent.