Koreans cast votes to elect new leader
Korean voters head to the polls Wednesday to pick the country’s new leader for the next five years.
In what is believed to be the closest presidential race in Korea’s history, the final voter turnout is expected to surpass 80 percent for the first time in 25 years. The turnout from the two-day early voting — Friday to Saturday — hit a record high of 36.93 percent.
According to the National Election Commission (NEC), the total number of voters for the 20th presidential election is 44,197,692, including 226,162 who cast their ballots outside the country and 16,323,602 voters who filled in their ballots during the early voting.
For the early voting, the NEC set up 3,562 polling stations across the country, and the eventual number will increase to 14,464 on Wednesday. Ballots collected from each polling station will be delivered to 251 counting places after voting booths close.
The voting will begin at 6 a.m. and last until 6 p.m. for regular voters. Voting for COVID-19 patients and those in quarantine will start at 6 p.m. and they will be expected to appear at polling stations by 7:30 p.m. to cast their ballots.
The results of exit polls are anticipated to be available at 7:30 p.m. Local broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS will announce the result of their joint exit poll, and cable network JTBC will also reveal its own exit poll after the end of voting.
Uncertainty clouds election
The process of voting for COVID-19 patients and those in quarantine poses uncertainties.
The early voting for COVID-19 patients and those in quarantine on Saturday ended in a nationwide controversy, due to the NEC’s failure to anticipate the number of voters and the improper handling of their ballots. Early voting for coronavirus patients began at 5 p.m., but at some polling stations voters could only cast their ballots as late as 8:30 p.m.
The NEC does not have a tally on how many patients and those in quarantine participated in early voting.
Against this backdrop, it remains uncertain when the voting process will end and when the final result of the election will come out. As of Tuesday, the number of people undergoing self-treatment for COVID-19 at home stood at 1.16 million.
As the turnout for early voting sets a new high, the final turnout of the election is also anticipated to break the all-time record of 80.7 percent recorded in the 1997 presidential election. The turnout for the previous election in 2017 stood at 77.2 percent.
Today’s election is expected to be the closest race in the nation’s history, with main opposition People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol having a slight lead over ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) candidate Lee Jaemyung, within the margin of error in surveys revealed March 3.
However, pundits say it remains unclear how the race is unfolding now, because the NEC prohibits polling agencies from announcing new survey results since March 4, and major events that can affect the election dynamics took place after the surveys.
On March 3, No. 3 candidate Ahn Cheol-soo gave up his presidential bid to endorse Yoon, merging their candidacies in order to seek the unified support of conservative and center-right voters. The merger’s impact, however, is uncertain because there are mixed responses over Ahn’s abrupt resignation, which came after early voting from overseas voters.
Patching up disputes
This presidential election has been widely described as the worst election ever, with voters saying they will choose the “lesser of two evils.” The rival candidates have staged mudslinging fights exposing scandals about each other throughout their campaigning, while doubts are still lingering as to whether each candidate can truly represent conservative and liberal sentiments.
Also, conflicts between different genders and age groups became election tools, as rival parties adopted policies and arguments instigating disputes between each side, overshadowing debates on more substantive issues.
Due to this, calls are growing that the most urgent task for the president-elect is to patch up the increasing polarization and seek unity among people to lay the groundwork for the country to focus on addressing social, economic and diplomatic issues.
The country’s skyrocketing coronavirus caseload and compensation for small shop owners’ losses due to COVID-19 restrictions remain at the top of the agenda regarding ongoing social concerns. In terms of diplomacy, U.S. President Joe Biden is anticipated to pay a visit to Seoul, putting the new President’s diplomatic capabilities to test. Pyongyang’s continued missile threats will also pose a conundrum for the winner.
Korea is showing signs of an economic rebound from the fallout of the pandemic, but rising consumer prices and inflation are weighing on the economy. Stabilizing home prices and protecting the country’s industry from global supply chain disruptions are also key tasks for the new President.
Final pitch
On Tuesday, rival candidates made their final appeal to voters, wrapping up their 22-days of canvassing.
DPK candidate Lee focused on canvassing in Seoul and the surrounding metropolitan regions. He started Tuesday’s tour with a press conference at DPK’s headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, and then moved to Paju and Gwangmyeong in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon.
Lee had a public speech in Gwanghwamun in the evening, where the candlelight rallies took place to protest former President Park five years ago, and wrapped up his campaign with a late night public speech in Hongdae, Mapo District.
“I am standing here at a crucial time of deciding whether Korea will move forward to the future or take steps backward to the past,” Lee said in the press conference. “I will prove how valuable each ballot is and how the president can make difference. … Between capable and incapable candidates, who would you like to start the first day of this new era?”
The PPP’s Yoon started his last day of campaigning by visiting Jeju Island, and moved up northward, stopping by Busan, Daegu and Daejeon.
He arrived in Seoul for a speech at Seoul Plaza, Jung District, at 8:30 p.m., then moved to Konkuk University Station in Gwangjin District and then Gangnam Station in Gangnam District for additional canvassing.
“Vote tomorrow for new change,” Yoon said during his public speech in Jeju. “I don’t know about the grammar of politics, but I have been running in this race for months only to address debts to the public. Please give me the chance to finish first and make desirable changes for the country.”
National Election Commission (NEC) Chairperson Noh Jeong-hee is in the hot seat over the agency’s improper handling of COVID-19 patients’ ballots during the early voting period last Friday and Saturday.
Despite making an apology for the fiasco during a press conference, Tuesday, the besieged NEC chief did not address growing calls from political circles for her resignation.
The NEC came under fire over the weekend following revelations that poll station workers were collecting patients’ ballots in plastic bags and other unofficial containers, rather than letting the infected voters place their votes directly in designated ballot boxes, during the early voting period for infected voters on Saturday.
Lee Jun-seok, chairman of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), said earlier in the day that Noh should step down over the mishandling of ballots.
“The NEC will have to take responsibility for the early voting incident after the election and an absence of Noh’s decision to quit is likely to impose a heavier burden on the organization,” Lee said during a radio interview.
PPP floor leader Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon also posted his thoughts on the matter on Facebook, “The NEC should make efforts to prevent the misconduct from repeating on Election Day. After that, the NEC chief should assume responsibility for the case and make it clear that she will step down.” The ruling party is also in agreement with the PPP’s call for Noh’s resignation.
DPK Chairman Rep. Song Young-gil said during a radio interview, Monday, that someone in charge of the early polling should be held responsible, while Lee Nak-yon, a former prime minister who is now serving as the DPK’s election committee chief, criticized Noh for her dereliction of duty during the two-day early voting period.
Facing growing criticism, Noh apologized for the mishandling of COVID-19 patients’ ballots and other blunders during the early voting period, pledging to make sure no such mishaps will happen again in today’s election.
“As chairperson, I feel responsibility for causing confusion and inconvenience with poor preparations,” Noh said at a press conference at the NEC’s headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. “The NEC turned over a new leaf and prepared thoroughly so that every person can exercise their voting rights without inconvenience.”
In the wake of the scandal, the NEC decided Monday to allow COVID-19 patients and those in quarantine to place their completed ballots directly into the ballot boxes, after others finish voting.