[21st General Election] Voter Turnout at 12 PM 19.2%... 1.8%p Lower Than Last Election (Update)

[Asia Economy Reporter Minji Lee] The National Election Commission announced on the 15th at 12 PM that the voter turnout for the 21st general election is 19.2%. This turnout is 1.8 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 Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Voting, which started simultaneously at 3,508 polling stations nationwide from 6 AM, recorded 8,432,721 voters out of a total of 43,994,247 registered voters.

By region, Daegu had the highest turnout at 21%. It was followed by Gangwon at 20.8%, Ulsan and Gyeongnam at 20.3%, Busan at 20.1%, Chungnam at 19.7%, and Chungbuk at 19.6%.

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 combined with the turnout announced from 1 PM onward.

Voting hours are from 6 AM to 6 PM. 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.