| People line up to cast ballots for the March 9 presidential election on the second and final day of early voting at a polling station in Seoul on March 5. Yonhap |
The rival presidential candidates ramped up their campaigns in swing provinces on the second and final day of early voting Saturday, with high voter interest in the tight race expected to lead to record turnout.
As of 1 p.m., Saturday, turnout came to 26.89 percent, as more than 18.86 million out of the country's 44.2 million voters have cast their ballots for the March 9 presidential election, according to the National Election Commission (NEC).
The figure surpassed the final voter turnout of early voting for the 2017 presidential election and is expected to set a new record.
During Friday's early voting, turnout was 17.57 percent, the highest-ever for the first day since the early voting system was introduced in 2014.
The NEC had earlier projected the final early voting turnout could surpass 30 percent. The current turnout record in early voting was set in National Assembly elections in 2020 with 26.69 percent.
| A citizen wearing a sanitary glove receives a ballot on the second day of early voting for the presidential election in Seoul, March 5. Yonhap |
Both the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) have been encouraging people to go to the polls during the two-day early voting period ahead of next week's election, claiming a high turnout benefits their candidates amid a tight race.
Both Lee Jae-myung of the liberal DPK and Yoon Suk-yeol of the conservative PPP already cast their ballots Friday, while President Moon Jae-in also voted early.
For Saturday, Lee will focus on campaigning on his home turf, Gyeonggi Province. He was the governor of South Korea's most populous province before he became the DPK presidential candidate.
He will make stops in Hanam, Seongnam, Yongin, Osan, Pyeongtaek and Siheung. Seongnam is Lee's "political hometown," as he served two consecutive terms as mayor of the city from 2010 to 2018.
Ahead of the campaigning, Lee visited the eastern coastal regions of Uljin and Samcheok early Saturday where a wildfire has continued to spread from the previous day, and vowed to beef up state support for evacuees.
The fire destroyed 90 homes and caused the evacuation of nearly 6,000 people, according to the government. No casualties have been reported.
Yoon started the day by visiting Jecheon and Chungju, both in North Chungcheong Province.
He lashed out at the current government for its poor response to the COVID-19 pandemic which has led to a drastic surge in recent infections, calling for stern judgment through the election.
The country reported 254,327 new virus cases Friday following the record high daily tally of 266,853 logged the previous day amid the continued spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.
The former prosecutor general will then move to Gyeonggi Province to hold rallies in Yeoju, Icheon, Gwangju and Namyangju.
Yoon is also scheduled to speak at Children's Grand Park in Seoul, where he will introduce his vision for kids and future generations, and go to Nowon district in northern Seoul.
The PPP expects Yoon's campaign to receive a boost when Ahn Cheol-soo of the minor opposition People's Party joins its rallies.
Ahn, who had been running third in opinion polls, withdrew from the race Thursday to support Yoon. He reportedly plans to speak for Yoon at a rally in Icheon.
Meanwhile, Sim Sang-jeung of the minor progressive Justice Party began the day in Gwangju, some 330 kilometers southwest of Seoul, where she visited the national cemetery for the 1980 pro-democracy uprising.
Sim will then hold campaign rallies in Seoul with focus on women and young voters, her party said. (Yonhap)