Voter turnout hits 62.6% in general elections as of 5 p.m.

Voter turnout for the parliamentary elections Wednesday reached 62.6 percent as of 5 p.m., the highest turnout of elections conducted since 2000, the National Election Commission (NEC) said. According to the commission, some 27.5 million South Koreans had completed casting ballots with one hour left for the voting at 14,330 polling stations nationwide in crucial elections that are seen as a referendum on President Moon Jae-in amid the country's fight against the new coronavirus. The voter tur

April 15, 2020

Nearly 60% of voters cast ballots in general elections

Voter turnout for parliamentary elections Wednesday reached 59.7 percent as of 4 p.m., 9.5 percentage points higher than at the same time in the previous elections four years ago, the National Election Commission (NEC) said. According to the commission, some 26.3 million South Koreans had completed casting ballots with two hours left for the voting at 14,330 polling stations nationwide in crucial elections that are seen as a referendum on President Moon Jae-in amid the country's fight against

April 15, 2020

S. Korean voters cast ballots in world's first national coronavirus election

Voters headed to polling stations Wednesday for the general elections, with the turnout projected to hit a record high in nearly two decades. In this year’s general elections, 253 constituency and 47 proportional representative seats are being contested. As of 3 p.m., 56.5 percent of voters -- including those who took part in early voting -- had cast their ballots. By region, South Jeolla Province had the highest voter participation at 60.8 percent follow by North Jeolla Province at

April 15, 2020

Election outcome sets stage for presidential race

In a high-profile race watched as a preview of the presidential contest, Lee Nak-yeon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea was seen heading for a victory against rival Hwang Kyo-ahn of the main opposition United Future Party, further cementing his position as a presidential candidate. Exit polls and early returns showed Lee comfortably ahead of Hwang in a constituency of Jongno, Seoul, in Wednesday’s parliamentary elections. His party was also projected to bag more than a majority o

April 15, 2020

Nearly half of voters cast ballots in general elections as of 1 p.m.

Voter turnout for parliamentary elections reached 49.7 percent by around the midpoint of the daylong voting Wednesday, 11.8 percentage points higher than at the same time in the previous elections four years ago, the National Election Commission (NEC) said. According to the commission, some 21.9 million South Koreans completed casting ballots as of 1 p.m., seven hours after voting began at 14,330 polling stations nationwide in crucial elections that are seen as a referendum on President Moon J

April 15, 2020

[Photo News] Korean voters brave virus fears to cast ballots

South Koreans cast ballots to elect a new parliament on Wednesday, braving the continued threat of the coronavirus across the nation.   Voters were advised to follow strict precautions to prevent the virus from spreading, such as wearing face masks and plastic gloves, and maintaining a safe distance from each other. The Seoul metropolitan area, Busan, the Chungcheong region, Gangwon and Jeju are expected to see some of the closest matches in the general elections. Many are paying atten

April 15, 2020

Voter turnout stands at 15.3% as of 11 a.m.

Around 15.3 percent of South Korean voters had turned out in Wednesday's parliamentary elections as of 11 a.m., 0.8 percentage point lower than at the same time in the previous elections four years ago, the National Election Commission (NEC) said. According to the commission, some 6.73 million completed voting, five hours after the polls opened at 14,330 polling stations nationwide in crucial elections that are seen as a referendum on President Moon Jae-in amid the country's fight against the

April 15, 2020

[April 15 Elections] Many races in swing vote regions too close to call

  In addition to the Seoul metropolitan area, which accounts for nearly half of the country’s constituencies, the swing vote regions of Busan, Chungcheong, Gangwon and Jeju are likely to see some of the closest matches in the general elections on Wednesday. Of the 253 electoral districts nationwide, the ruling Democratic Party said it was leading in 120 and contending in 70. The main opposition United Future Party said it was headmost in 95 constituencies and contesting in 51. Ba

April 15, 2020

[Graphic News] The election in numbers

 

April 15, 2020

Voting for general elections kicks off

Voting in Korea’s general elections got underway at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, with 8 percent of voters casting their ballots as of 9 a.m. In this year’s general elections, 253 constituency and 47 proportional representative seats are being contested. According to the National Election Commission, just over 3.53 million of 43.99 million voters had cast their ballots by 9 a.m. in the voting that continues until 6 p.m. The early voting participation rate will be included in the overall

April 15, 2020

Voter turnout stands at 8% as of 9 a.m.

Around 8 percent of South Korean voters turned out in Wednesday's parliamentary elections as of 9 a.m., the National Election Commission (NEC) said. According to the commission, some 3.54 million completed voting, three hours after the polls opened at 14,330 polling stations nationwide in crucial elections that are seen as a referendum on President Moon Jae-in amid the country's fight against the new coronavirus. The latest turnout tally does not include 26.69 percent who participated in las

April 15, 2020

S. Koreans vote amid coronavirus outbreak with higher turnout than before

South Koreans voted in parliamentary elections amid the coronavirus pandemic Wednesday, with turnout at nearly 60 percent just hours before the voting was to end in a sign of intense public interest in what is seen as a referendum on President Moon Jae-in. As of 4 p.m., 26.3 million people, or 59.7 percent of the total 44 million eligible voters, had completed casting their ballots, with two hours left until voting ends at 14,330 polling stations across the nation, according to the National El

April 15, 2020

Seoul court invalidates main opposition party's expulsion of candidate

A Seoul court on Tuesday accepted a request by a parliamentary candidate to nullify the main opposition party's decision to expel him for controversial remarks. At an emergency meeting Monday, the United Future Party (UFP) leadership council decided to revoke the party membership of Cha Myeong-jin and void his candidacy to run in Wednesday's parliamentary elections. Cha, running in Bucheon, west of Seoul, sought an injunction at the Seoul Southern District Court to invalidate the party's deci

April 14, 2020

Parties make last-minute appeals to voters

With masks and gloves on, Koreans go to the polls to elect their parliamentary representatives in nationwide elections Wednesday, becoming the first country to do so amid a global virus pandemic. With 300 seats up for grabs, the ruling and main opposition parties concentrated on the capital area on Tuesday, in a last-minute attempt to sway voters on the last day of election campaigns. With 121 of 253 constituencies located in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, the three regions are consi

April 14, 2020

Govt. speeds up emergency coronavirus relief payment process

The government decided Tuesday to begin the process immediately of handing out "emergency disaster relief payments" to a majority of households in South Korea suffering from the impact of the coronavirus, instead of waiting for the passage of a related extra budget bill. The payment plan, announced late last month, was approved formally in a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Moon Jae-in on the day, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. All families here except the t

April 14, 2020

Moon says int'l ties on quarantine, economy crucial

President Moon Jae-in stressed the importance of close international coordination on both antivirus quarantine and the economy Tuesday in the face of a shift in global order. He was speaking at a weekly Cabinet meeting hours before participating in a video summit on COVID-19 with the leaders of China, Japan and 10 ASEAN member states. "Quarantine cooperation and economic cooperation are two sides of the same coin," he said. "The government will cooperate actively with the entir

April 14, 2020

[Photo News] Preparations for parliamentary elections

A stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, prepares for the upcoming April 15 parliamentary elections, on Monday, two days ahead of the elections. The polls will fill South Korea's 300-seat unicameral National Assembly. (Photos: Yonhap) By Kim Tae-eun (kimt17@heraldcorp.com)

April 14, 2020

Parties implore voters, highlight shortfalls of rivals ahead of elections

The country’s two main political parties are scrambling to reach out to voters, with both sides highlighting the perceived failures of their rivals ahead of Wednesday’s general elections. Rep. Lee Hae-chan, head of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, on Monday highlighted the importance of Seoul and the surrounding regions in the general elections and urged voters to pick the party’s candidates in constituency elections while picking the Citizen Party for proportional repr

April 13, 2020

Main opposition party expels candidate over controversial remarks

The main opposition United Future Party (UFP) decided Monday to kick out election candidate Cha Myeong-jin over his controversial remarks about families of the victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster. The decision, made at an emergency meeting of the conservative party's leadership council, will deprive Cha of candidacy to run in the April 15 parliamentary elections. During a TV debate last week, Cha, who ran in Bucheon, west of Seoul, cited an unconfirmed news report that a bereaved family

April 13, 2020

[Newsmaker] COVID-19 concealed president’s missteps: Ahn

Ahn Cheol-soo, chief of the minor People’s Party, said Monday that President Moon Jae-in’s missteps have been concealed by the COVID-19 crisis, appealing to voters to support his reformative center-right party in the April 15 general elections. Referring to a news article published by Bloomberg headlined “Virus helps bury controversy in South Korea’s pandemic election,” Ahn said the Moon administration and the Democratic Party of Korea were fortunate to rebuild

April 13, 2020