[Politics, That Day...] 2008 General Election's 'Dizzying Lunch', Seoul Voter Turnout Dark History

18th General Election, Only 1 in 4 Seoul Voters Participated by Lunch Break
Seoul's Final Voter Turnout Fails to Exceed 50%, Gangnam-gu Remains Lowest at 42.3%

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min]

Editor's Note‘Politics, That Day...’ is a series that looks back on Korean politics through the ‘recollection of memories’ related to notable scenes, events, and figures that deserve attention.

On April 14 last year, one day before the 21st National Assembly election, an election official was checking the marking tools at the first polling station in Cheongunhyoja-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, located in the gymnasium of Seoul Cheongun Elementary School. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

When considering the ‘dark history of voter turnout’ in Korean political history, the 2008 18th general election cannot be overlooked. Voters did not show up at the polls, as if mocking the major parties’ all-out election campaigns.

Nowadays, election opinion polls, which have become part of politics, serve as useful data to check the flow and current status of public sentiment. But if fewer than one in two voters participate in an election, can the results of such opinion polls be considered meaningful data?

The 2008 general election remains a dizzying memory for the political world. It was a year that broke records for the worst voter turnout in history. The nationwide general election held on a temporary holiday runs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Major parties keenly watch the voter turnout trends after 6 a.m. because the outcome can change depending on turnout. Taking Seoul, the ‘heart of politics,’ as an example, the voter turnout by lunchtime (12 p.m.) during the 2008 general election did not exceed 25%. This means that fewer than one in four voters participated in the election before going to lunch.

According to the National Election Commission, the voter turnout in Seoul at 12 p.m. during the 18th general election was only 21.8%. The turnout in Gangnam-gu was limited to 18.5%. This means that only about one or two out of every ten voters in Gangnam-gu had voted by that time.

On the 15th, the ballot boxes arrived at the counting center set up at the Multipurpose Badminton Gymnasium in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, where the 21st National Assembly elections were held. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The result of voter neglect was reflected in the final turnout. The final voter turnout in Seoul during the 18th general election was only 45.8%. Out of 8,078,355 voters in Seoul, only 3,701,734 cast their ballots in the 18th general election.

Voter turnout in Gangnam-gu was extremely low even within Seoul. The final turnout in Gangnam-gu for the 18th general election was 42.3%, the lowest in Seoul. It is difficult to find such low turnout in general elections before or after the 18th general election based on Seoul’s standards.

During the 18th general election, in Gangnam-gap, Lee Jong-gu of the Hannara Party was elected with 64.9% of the vote, defeating Kim Seong-wook of the United Democratic Party, who received 18.3%. In Gangnam-eul, Gong Seong-jin of the Hannara Party won with 62.7%, beating Choi Young-rok of the United Democratic Party, who garnered 18.7%.

Although they recorded over 60% of the vote, it is hard to say they were elected with overwhelming support from voters. Considering those who did not vote, Gong Seong-jin was elected with the support of 28.7% of all voters in Gangnam-eul, and Lee Jong-gu was elected with the support of 25.1% of all voters in Gangnam-gap.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

There are reasons for the low turnout. First, when a one-sided dominance by a particular party is formed, it is difficult to secure voting momentum. Voters supporting the weaker party may judge their vote as meaningless.

Turnout also drops when elections fail to inspire hope and expectations among voters. When political indifference and cynicism spread, it can pose political risks not only to the losing side but also to the winning side. In the case of the 2008 general election, turnout was low even though it was an early election held just two months after President Lee Myung-bak took office.

Since 2008, there has never been a nationwide election with a turnout below 50%. This suggests that political cynicism has relatively lessened. The turnout-boosting effect of the introduction of early voting cannot be ignored. In the most recent nationwide election, the 21st general election last year, early voting turnout reached 26.7%. The final turnout was 66.2%.

What kind of turnout will the upcoming by-elections in April to elect new metropolitan mayors of Seoul and Busan show?