Seoul: As the two-day early voting for the June 3 presidential election kicked off Thursday, voters began flocking to polling stations nationwide at dawn, forming long lines in many places. Unlike in the past, this year's early voting is being held entirely on weekdays. A polling station set up at the Yeomni-dong Community Center in western Seoul was crowded with citizens wanting to cast their ballots starting at 6 a.m. Each person was dressed differently, reflecting their busy mornings.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the steady stream of voters of all ages and genders included office workers in suits, construction workers wearing hard hats, delivery truck drivers, and couples in comfortable casual wear. Kim Yu-jung, 30, who usually arrives at her office nearby around 7 a.m., said with a smile: "I came early to vote without waiting in line. I hope my vote will help democracy."
A middle-aged woman, who arrived on a motorcycle wearing an apron, declined an interview and hurriedly left after voting, saying she had to open her store quickly. A long line also formed at the early voting booth set up in the departure hall of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. People started to line up even before 6 a.m., when the early voting began, and had to wait for more than an hour. Some people ate sandwiches or "gimbap" (seaweed rice rolls) while standing, and others took pictures of themselves with the early voting booth in the background.
Kim Ji-ae, 39, said she and her family took part in the early voting as they won't return home until June 3 after a trip to the Philippines. In front of the Yeoksam 1-dong Community Center in southern Seoul, about 40 people were lined up at 6 a.m. Some of them were seen taking "voter certification photos," while others posted messages on social media urging people to vote. A group of conservative activists held a rally nearby to campaign against vote rigging. They took photos of the voters entering the polling station and counted their numbers.
The Sajik-dong Community Center's polling station in central Seoul was also crowded beginning at 6 a.m. with residents of various ages and office workers heading to work, with three police officers and a patrol car stationed there to prepare for any emergency. Some voters were seen carrying hiking poles.