Total General Election Turnout at 12 PM 18.5%
High in Daegu, Gyeongnam, Chungnam; Below Average in Gwangju, Jeonbuk
Ruling and Opposition Parties Appeal for Support as Turnout Drops Below 21st Election Level
As of 12 PM on the 10th, the voter turnout for the 22nd general election was recorded at 18.5%.
According to the official turnout tally announced by the National Election Commission, out of a total of 44,280,011 eligible voters, 8,184,200 have cast their votes.
This is 0.7 percentage points lower than the 19.2% turnout at the same time during the 21st general election in 2020. The early voting turnout of 31.28% from the 5th to 6th is not included in this figure; from 1 PM onward, the early voting turnout will be combined and released.
Handonghun, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, and Lee Jaemyung, Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea
As of noon, Daegu had the highest turnout at 20.4%, followed by Gyeongnam (20.2%), Chungnam (20.0%), and Gangwon, Gyeongbuk, and Daejeon (19.6%).
The lowest turnout was recorded in Gwangju at 15.7%, followed by Jeonbuk and Jeonnam (16.0%), and Sejong (16.8%).
Generally, the Yeongnam region, which had a low early voting turnout, shows a relatively high participation rate in the main voting, while the Honam region, which had a high early voting turnout, is showing below-average participation in the main voting.
As voter turnout on election day remains low, the leadership of both ruling and opposition parties are appealing for support until the last moment. Since results in closely contested areas can determine the final number of seats, it is crucial to bring even one more supporter to the polling stations. The People Power Party is reportedly expecting '110 to 130 seats' combining constituency and proportional representation, while the Democratic Party anticipates '120 to 151 seats or more.'
Han Dong-hoon, the Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, posted three messages on the party’s Facebook page on the day. Chairman Han appealed, "To the elders and seniors who have led Korea this far, I ask you to come out to the polling stations and lead Korea once again. Please save Korea." In an earlier post, he stated, "The main voting turnout is still lower than the last general election. In such a critical close race, if the turnout remains low, we cannot protect this country."
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, also posted on his Facebook, saying, "The turnout is lower not only than the last presidential election but also the previous general election. This election is a close contest across the country, including Busan, where new history will be made, and the lower the turnout, the more disadvantageous these battlegrounds become." He added, "This election’s outcome will be decided by voter turnout encouragement. Please urge everyone you know to participate in voting right now."
The election, which started at 6 AM, will continue until 6 PM. Voters must bring their ID and go to the polling station in their registered residential district to vote.
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