People stand in line to vote for the 2026 local elections in Nonsan, South Chungcheong, on June 3. [JOONGANG ILBO]
High turnout, ballot confusion and a string of polling station incidents marked Election Day across Korea on Wednesday as voters cast ballots in the 2026 local elections.
Voter turnout rate was 57.4 percent as of 5 p.m., one hour before the poll's closing, per the National Election Commission (NEC). The figure is 9.8 percentage points higher than that of the last local elections in 2022, measured during the same time.
"Early voting has good intentions, but I came today just to be safe," Yoo Myeong-seong from Dongducheon, Gyeonggi, said. They had brought their personal seal to the polling station for identification. "I brought my seal because signatures can be manipulated," Yoo said.
Eligible voters cast their ballots for the 2026 local elections at a polling station in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on June 3. [NEWS1]
