[21st General Election] Voter Turnout at 11 AM 15.3% ... 0.8%p Lower Than Last Election (Update)

[Asia Economy Reporter Minji Lee] The National Election Commission announced that as of 11 a.m. on the 15th, the voter turnout for the 21st general election was 15.3%. This turnout is 0.8 percentage points lower than the same time during the 20th general election in 2016.

On the 15th, the 21st National Assembly election day, voters are casting their ballots at a polling station set up at Hyehwa Art Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Voting, which started simultaneously at 3,508 polling stations nationwide from 6 a.m. that day, recorded 6,734,112 voters out of a total of 43,994,247 registered voters.

By region, Gangwon had the highest turnout at 16.9%, followed by Daegu at 16.8%, Gyeongnam at 16.4%, Ulsan at 16.1%, and Busan at 15.9%.

The current turnout does not include early voting conducted on the 10th and 11th (turnout 26.69%). Early voting, along with absentee (mail-in) voting, shipboard voting, and overseas voting, will be included in the turnout figures released from 1 p.m.

Voting hours are from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Voters can cast their ballots at any polling station nationwide without separate notification. When going to vote, voters must bring a photo ID issued by a government or public institution, such as their resident registration card, passport, or driver's license.