Seoul: Early voting turnout for South Korea's ninth nationwide local elections reached a record 23.51%, the Korean Herald reported on Saturday, citing figures from the National Election Commission.

According to Anadolu Agency, the NEC stated that 10.49 million of the country's 44.64 million eligible voters participated in the two-day early voting period, surpassing the previous record of 20.62% set in the 2022 local elections. The NEC reported that the turnout on the first day was 11.6%, exceeding the previous first-day record of 10.18% recorded in 2022. The second day contributed an additional 11.91%, culminating in the overall early voting rate of 23.51%.

The Korea Herald, referencing NEC data, indicated that all major regions experienced higher early voting participation compared to the previous local elections. South Jeolla province recorded the highest turnout, while Daegu reported the lowest turnout among the country's major administrative regions.

Nationwide, early voting was conducted over two days leading up to the local elections, which will decide mayors, governors, local council members, and education officials across South Korea. The NEC confirmed that polling stations were operational across the country from Friday through Saturday, permitting voters to cast ballots outside their registered constituencies.

South Korea introduced early voting nationwide in 2014 to enhance voter convenience and participation. Since then, early voting rates have shown a consistent increase in both national and local elections. Election authorities announced that ballots from the early voting period would be counted alongside those cast on election day, June 3.