With over 22% of votes already cast, rival candidates in last-minute push for swing voters
Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung and People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo were set to ramp up their campaigns to woo swing voters Friday, the second and last day of early voting, with the election just four days away.
Turnout in Thursday's early voting was 19.58 percent, the highest ever for the first day since the early voting system was introduced, according to the National Election Commission. As of 7 a.m. on Friday, the total turnout had come to 20.41 percent.
About 44.3 million voters are eligible for the June 3 election that will culminate monthslong political chaos triggered by former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid.
Candidates have been encouraging people to go to the polls during the two-day early voting period, claiming high turnout benefits their candidates amid a three-way race that included Lee Jun-seok of the minor conservative New Reform Party.
For Friday, the DP's Lee plans to visit Chuncheon and Wonju in Gangwon Province, before heading to Chungju in North Chungcheong Province for his campaign rallies. This marks his first visit to Gangwon during the official campaign period.
Both Gangwon and North Chungcheong Provinces were regions where Lee lost to then candidate Yoon Suk Yeol in the 2022 presidential election.
The PPP's Kim was set to launch a 90-hour nonstop overnight campaign tour across the country in a final push to appeal to voters ahead of the formal vote.
Later in the day, Kim will hold campaign rallies in Gapyeong, Icheon and Yeoju in Gyeonggi Province.
Kim will then travel to Chungju and Jecheon in North Chungcheong, and Wonju and Chuncheon in Gangwon.
The latest poll on the presidential election, published Wednesday, showed the DP's Lee in the lead at 49.2 percent, followed by Kim of the PPP with 36.8 percent. Lee Jun-seok came in third with 10.3 percent support.
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Election worker apprehended after allegedly casting vote on husband's behalf
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