SEOUL, May 29 (UPI) -- South Koreans turned out in record numbers to cast their ballots as early voting kicked off on Thursday, with long lines at many of the country's polling stations ahead of the June 3 snap presidential election.
According to the National Election Commission, voter turnout reached 19.58% as polls closed at 6 p.m., the highest first-day total since South Korea introduced early voting for presidential elections in 2014. The figure represents some 8.7 million of the country's 44.4 million eligible voters.
The election is being held in the wake of a months-long saga precipitated by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's shocking martial law declaration in December. The short-lived decree led to Yoon's impeachment and eventual removal from office on April 3, while long-simmering political divisions in the country have grown deeper.
Six candidates are vying for the top office, but liberal Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung and conservative People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo are seen as the top contenders, while Lee Jun-seok of the minor conservative New Reform Party is a distant third.
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