Democratic Party Chairman Chung Chung-rae, left, campaigns outside Ganghwa Pungmul Market in Incheon’s Ganghwa County, while People Power Party Chairman Jang Dong-hyeok speaks Sunday at the party’s headquarters in Seoul’s Yeouido district. Photo by Asia Today
May 31 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's early voting turnout for Wednesday's local elections reached a record high, prompting the ruling and opposition parties to offer sharply different interpretations of what the surge means.
The two-day early voting period ended Saturday with turnout at 23.51%, the highest level recorded for South Korean local elections. The figure was up from 20.62% in the 2022 local elections, according to the National Election Commission.
The ruling Democratic Party said the high turnout likely favored its candidates, arguing it reflected voter support for President Lee Jae-myung's government and a continued backlash against the political forces tied to the Dec. 3 martial law crisis.
Chung Chung-rae, the party's chairman, said during a campaign stop Saturday in Hongseong County, South Chungcheong Province, that high early voting usually works in the Democratic Party's favor.
