Early voting opens in South Korea for key local elections

Early voting for South Korea's crucial local elections began on Friday, with President Lee Jae Myung casting his ballot alongside first lady Kim Hye Kyung.

The couple voted at the Samcheong neighborhood community center near the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Yonhap News reported.

The two-day early voting process opened Friday morning across more than 3,500 polling stations nationwide and will continue through Saturday, allowing voters to cast ballots from 6 am to 6 pm.

The elections are widely viewed as the first major political test for the Lee administration since it took office in June last year, with analysts describing the vote as a referendum on the government's first year in power.

South Koreans will elect 16 metropolitan and provincial chiefs, 227 mayors and county heads, 804 metropolitan council members, 2,650 local council representatives, 16 education superintendents and 14 members of the National Assembly in parliamentary by-elections.

According to the National Election Commission, a total of 7,813 candidates are contesting the elections.

The outcome is expected to shape the political direction of the Lee government and influence future policy priorities.

Election authorities said the voting process was proceeding smoothly on the first day, with turnout figures closely monitored as parties mobilize supporters ahead of the official election day next week on June 3.