On the first day of early voting for the 21st presidential election on the 29th, the voter turnout was recorded at 19.58%. This figure is 2.01 percentage points higher than the first day of the 20th presidential election in 2022, which recorded the highest early voting rate among national elections since the introduction of early voting in 2014 at 17.57%.
As the high public interest in this presidential election is reflected, the final voter turnout is expected to exceed 80% for the first time since the 15th presidential election in 1997.
According to the National Election Commission, the early voting began at 6 a.m. and started at an all-time high of 1.21% at 7 a.m., finishing at 19.58%. Out of a total of 44,391,871 eligible voters, 8,691,711 participated in early voting.
With the combination of early voting until the 30th, it is expected to surpass the previous highest early voting rate of 36.93% from the 20th presidential election. An official from the National Election Commission noted, "In the pre-election voter awareness survey conducted, the proportion of voters who responded that they would participate in early voting was very high," adding, "The strong will to vote in this election has been reflected in the results."
In the second awareness survey conducted by the National Election Commission on the 24th and 25th, 86.8% of voters responded that they had an intention to vote. Among them, the proportion of voters who said they would participate in early voting reached 37.4%. In the second survey conducted before the 20th presidential election, of the voters (86%) who expressed intention to vote, 30.8% responded that they would participate in early voting.
By region, the early voting rate was highest in Honam, with Jeollanam-do at 34.96%, Jeollabuk-do at 32.69%, and Gwangju at 32.10% in that order. The lowest turnout was seen in Daegu at 13.42%. Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, and Busan recorded 16.92%, 17.18%, and 17.21%, respectively.
On that day, citizens continued to participate in early voting and posted voting certification shots on social media platforms such as Facebook, while presidential candidates also took part in early voting and engaged in a final push for votes in the metropolitan area.
Lee Jae-myung, the candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea, voted with young people in Sinchon, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, before moving through Gangdong-gu, Songpa-gu, Seocho-gu, and Gwanak-gu to consolidate voter support.
Candidate Lee Jae-myung said, "With your one vote, you will directly change my life and the fate of Korea," adding, "Candidate No. 1, Lee Jae-myung, still needs three more votes. Please vote to create a Korea that runs again. I will repay you by making a country where everyone lives well and where citizens are happy."
Kim Moon-soo, the candidate from the People Power Party, voted with his daughter Dong-joo in Incheon Gyeong and stated, "The final chase is underway. I'm confident that the results will be good." Afterward, Candidate Kim held campaign activities in Incheon under the theme 'the beginning of a great reversal.'
Lee Jun-seok, the candidate from the Reform Party, moved through Pangyo in Seongnam and Jongno in Seoul to rally his support base. He stated, "I'm in my 14th year of politics, but I'm still living under gaslighting that says 'wait because you're young,'" urging voters to support him.