Voter turnout for S. Korea's 21st presidential election at 71.5% as of 4 PM

We are counting down THREE hours to the end of the election as polling places are poised to close doors at eight this evening.

Now for a glimpse of the turnout thus far I have our Lee Eun-hee standing by live at the National Election Commission.

Eun-hee it's great to have you on.

So what has been shared about the voter turnout as we speak?

Well Sunny, I'm at the National Election Commission in Gwacheon City, where officials are keeping track of the voter turnout.

It's about 11 hours since the polls opened this morning at 6 AM.

Over 30 million people have cast their ballots for the 21st presidential election, and as of 4 PM we are seeing the highest turnout up to that time for any Korean presidential election with the voter turnout at 71-point-5 percent.

As voter turnout continues to rise, the current turnout as of 5 PM is -point-percent, which includes early voters.

Figures by region are as of 4 PM.

Jeollanam-do Province, which showed the highest early voter turnout rate, is showing the highest total voter turnout at 79-point-3 percent.

The lowest turnout is on Jeju Island at 68-point-1 percent.

Daegu, which had the lowest early voter turnout, now stands at 70-point-4 percent.

Busan is at 69 percent while Gwangju is at 78-point-3 percent.

Incheon stands at 69-point-8 percent and Daejeon stands at 71 percent.

The capital Seoul is seeing a turnout of 71-point-5 percent.

Gyeonggi-do Province stands at 71-point-4 percent, while Jeollabuk-do Province is at 77-point-5 percent.

For other provinces, turnout in Chungcheongbuk-do is 69-point-7 percent, Chungcheongnam-do 68-point-7 percent, Gyeongsangbuk-do 71-point-1 percent, and Gyeongsangnam-do 70-point-1 percent.

So far, the hourly voter turnout is slightly higher than in the 2022 presidential election, which ended with a final turnout of 77-point-1 percent.

Now, focus is on the final turnout rate.

Right and Eun-hee when might we learn about the result of this latest election?

Yes, Sunny.

Once the voting ends at 8 PM, the ballot boxes will be sealed and taken to counting centers under police escort.

Counting begins soon after and the National Election Commission expects counting to be finished by around 6:00 AM Wednesday morning.

The result should become clear by midnight, once 70 to 80 percent of votes are counted.

However, final results of course may take longer depending on voter turnout and how close the race is.

Once counting is done, the NEC will hold a full committee meeting in which the new president will be formally declared.

This meeting is expected to happen between 7 and 9 AM on Wednesday, and the process should only take 5 to 10 minutes.

The new president's term will immediately begin.

On Monday, Noh Tae-ak, Chairman of the National Election Commission, urged active voter participation, emphasizing the importance of creating a united South Korea through voting.

Noh assured the public that the NEC has prioritized transparency, highlighting measures such as 24-hour CCTV at early voting stations and a vote paper inspection system, both implemented in last year's general election.

Authorities are focusing on safety management as well.

The National Fire Agency has launched special emergency operations at over 15-thousand polling and counting stations nationwide, running until ballot counting ends.

Also this morning at 6 AM, police declared the highest level of emergency alert, mobilizing all available personnel.

This heightened readiness will continue until the new president's inauguration is complete and he arrives at his office on Wednesday.

Around 60-thousand officers are assigned to polling station security, 45-thousand to ballot transport and 7-thousand to counting center protection.

That's all I have for now, I'll be back with more updates later.

Back to you, Sunny.

Please do so Eun-hee and thank you for now.