South Korean presidential election: Voter interest high, early voting expected to be at record high - but troubles on first day

The South Korean presidential election, which will be held on the 3rd of next month, began early voting on the 29th and will run until today, the 30th. This election was held under the leadership of President Yoon Seok-yeol, who declared "emergency martial law" in December of last year.
The elections will be held following the impeachment of former President Lee Eun-young. In an editorial dated the 29th, the South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo commented on the start of early voting, saying, "This is an opportunity to show the world that South Korea's democracy is back."
Meanwhile, on the first day of early voting on the 29th, it was discovered that some ballot papers had been taken out of a polling station in Seoul, and the foundation of the Korean electoral system was destroyed by the sloppy management system.
There have also been criticisms that the ballot papers of those infected with COVID-19 were handled carelessly in the last presidential election in South Korea, which caused problems.
So far in the election campaign, Lee Jae-myung of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea is leading, while Kim of the ruling People Power Party is
Candidate Moon is closely followed by Lee Jun-seok of the opposition New Reform Party. Early voting began on the 29th. Voters can cast their ballots at 3,568 polling stations across the country.
If you bring your ID, you can vote at any polling station in the country. The Dong-A Ilbo newspaper, which reported on the start of early voting, said, "In the (last) 20th presidential election, nearly half of all voters cast their ballots on the day of the election.
"By participating in the early voting, the voters' choice for the next president has effectively begun," he said. The major candidates also cast their votes. Candidate Lee Jae-myung voted at the Shinchon (Shin) polls in Seoul.
After casting his vote, Lee said, "Korea must return to the era of young people. I voted together with young people in the hope that this election will be the turning point."
In addition, as the current presidential election is also a "trial for the civil unrest" that began with former President Yoon's declaration of "emergency martial law," Lee said, "There is a saying that the vote is stronger than the gun.
"We can only win against the current riots if the people vote," he said, urging people to vote. Kim Moon-soo, the candidate of the People Power Party, and his daughter in Incheon, a metropolitan area city,
The polling station she visited was in the constituency where Lee Jae-myung was elected as a member of the National Assembly, and the news agency Yonhap News Agency reported, "This appears to be a sign of her intention to try to turn the tables as Lee is leading the polls."
Before voting, Kim visited the bronze statue of General MacArthur, who commanded the Incheon Landing Operation during the Korean War. "I will overturn the election campaign like the Incheon Landing Operation," he said, announcing that his support will be strong.
Lee Jun-seok, a candidate from the New Reform Party, voted in his constituency, Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province, near Seoul.
"Dongtan was the constituency that showed the greatest enthusiasm for political change in the last general election. This time too, I want to bring about a change in politics, a change of generations, and a change of times," he said.
According to the Central Election Commission, the turnout rate on the first day of early voting was 19.58%, the highest ever. Yonhap News reported, "If this rate continues, the number of voters will increase by the 30th.
The final voter turnout for early voting, which will take place until the end of the month, is expected to surpass the previous record of 36.93% in the last presidential election.
The current presidential election was held after former President Yoon declared "emergency martial law" in December last year.
The election will be held following his impeachment, but the South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo pointed out in an editorial dated the 29th that the election is "one step in the process of restoring the damaged values and systems of democracy."
"The normal operation of election procedures, such as early voting, is also a process to restore the legitimacy of democratic procedures that were undermined by delusional leaders," he said. "This presidential election is a way to elect a new president.
"This will not only be a chance to select the right candidate, but also an important opportunity to ensure the stable operation of a system that has been the subject of distrust and suspicion, and to repair the confusion and decline in value that has occurred over the past six months."
Meanwhile, on the 29th, it was discovered that a large number of ballot papers had been smuggled out of a polling station in Seoul. Some voters who were waiting in line to vote had taken the ballot papers out of the polling station.
It is said that some voters received the ballot paper and went out to eat. South Korean media reported that there is a suspicion that voters who returned from eating and cast their ballots were not given a second voter identification check.
The Election Management Commission apologized, saying, "We will take steps to prevent a recurrence of similar cases in the future." However, according to the JoongAng Ilbo, an official from the Election Management Commission said, "We apologize for the inconvenience caused to the voters who took the ballot papers outside the polling station.
"There is no clear legal provision that says it is not allowed," he explained. However, criticism has come from the ruling People Power Party and others, and Park Sung Hoon, spokesman for the party's central election committee, said, "The first day of early voting is
"The election commission itself must not dampen the excitement of voting. We must put the fate of our organization on the line and work to ensure that no controversy arises until the day of the election.
Elections should be managed."