(5th LD) Tentative voter turnout at 28-year high of 66.2 pct despite coronavirus

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with new data)

SEOUL, April 15 (Yonhap) -- Voter turnout for South Korea's parliamentary elections Wednesday soared to 66.2 percent, the highest point in 28 years, according to a tentative figure released by the state election body.

Among 44 million eligible voters, 29.1 million cast their ballots at 14,330 polling stations nationwide, the National Election Commission (NEC) said, adding that the figure includes anti-coronavirus self-isolators allowed to go out briefly to vote. The NEC said it's not yet the final data.

The turnout represents the highest in the country's quadrennial general elections since 71.9 percent was recorded in 1992.

It was tallied at 58 percent in 2016, 54.2 percent in 2012 and 46.1 percent in 2008.

In the 2017 presidential poll, 77.2 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots, and 60.2 percent voted in last year's local elections.

The relatively high turnout apparently reflects South Koreans' increased interest in politics amid the drawn-out coronavirus outbreak. The number of daily infections has been relatively low in recent weeks as well, as the national social distancing campaign is still in place.

NEC officials also cited the positive effect of early voting. More than 11 million people voted in advance last Friday and Saturday.

"It seems like the turnout has hit such a high level driven by (public) confidence that South Korea can overcome such a national difficulty as COVID-19 and the record high early voting turnout," an NEC official said.

scaaet@yna.co.kr
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