Early voting starts in South Korea

SEOUL: Early voting in South Korea's presidential election began on Thursday, with both main candidates casting ballots in a poll triggered by ex-leader Yoon Suk Yeol's ill-fated suspension of civilian rule last year.

All major polls have placed liberal Lee Jae-myung as the clear front-runner in the presidential race, with a recent Gallup survey showing 49 per cent of respondents viewed him as the best candidate. Trailing behind him is conservative ex-labour minister Kim Moon-soo of the ruling People Power Party at 35 per cent.

While election day is set for June 3, those who want to vote early can do so on Thursday and Friday. South Koreans have in recent years turned out in growing numbers for early voting, with 37 per cent casting their ballots ahead of polling day in the 2022 presidential election. The turnout rate for Thursday was about 19.6 per cent, the highest first-day figure in South Korea's early voting history, according to Seoul's National Election Commission. — AFP