Il Nuovo Postiglione - Early voting starts for South Korea election triggered by martial law

South Koreans are desperate to draw a line under months of political turmoil sparked by Yoon's declaration of martial law, for which he was impeached.

Since then the Asian democracy has been led by a revolving door of lame duck acting presidents as its export-driven economy grapples with trade turmoil abroad and sluggish demand at home.

All major polls have placed liberal Lee Jae-myung as the clear front-runner in the presidential race, with a recent Gallup survey showing 49 percent of respondents viewed him as the best candidate.

Trailing behind him is conservative ex-labour minister Kim Moon-soo of the ruling People Power Party -- Yoon's former party -- at 35 percent.

While election day is set for June 3, those who want to vote early can do so on Thursday and Friday.

South Koreans have in recent years turned out in growing numbers for early voting, with 37 percent casting their ballots ahead of polling day in the 2022 presidential election.

The turnout rate for Thursday was about 19.6 percent, the highest first-day figure in South Korea's early voting history, according to Seoul's National Election Commission.

The overseas voter turnout also reached a historic high, with four-fifths of 1.97 million eligible voters casting their ballots.

"Given that this election was held in the wake of an impeachment and a martial law crisis, it naturally reflects the public's strong desire to express their thoughts about democracy in South Korea," Kang Joo-hyun, a political science professor at Sookmyung Women's University, told AFP.

- 'Vote more powerful than a bullet' -

Voting in the capital Seoul on Thursday morning, Lee told reporters: "There's a saying that a vote is more powerful than a bullet."

"Even an insurrection can only truly be overcome through the people's participation at the ballot box," said Lee of the Democratic Party.

According to a Gallup poll, more than half of his supporters said they planned to vote early, compared to just 16 percent of Kim's supporters.

Kim has said he will cast his vote in Incheon, west of Seoul, with his campaign framing it as "the beginning of a dramatic turnaround", a nod to General Douglas MacArthur's landing there during the Korean War.

Kim's decision to vote early has surprised many on the right, where conspiracy theories about electoral fraud –- particularly during early voting –- are rife.

The 73-year-old however reassured his supporters that there is "nothing to worry about".

"If you hesitate to vote early and end up missing the main election, it would be a major loss," Kim said on Wednesday.

"Our party will mobilise all its resources to ensure strict monitoring and oversight of early voting," he added. "So please don't worry and take part in it."

After early voting on Thursday, Kim insisted he still had time to win the race.

"We're closing the gap quickly, and at this pace, I'm confident we'll take the lead soon," he told reporters.

The National Election Commission apologised after it was revealed that voters had taken their paper ballots outside a polling station in Seoul, in violation of voting rules, due to the queue of voters extending outside the crowded poll site.

"We sincerely apologise for the inadequate control over voters waiting in line," the NEC said in a statement.

In the city of Incheon, a woman in her 40s was detained after showing up at a polling station while draped in a large American flag, local police told AFP.

South Korean law prohibits anyone from wearing symbols on election day that could potentially influence voting. Local media reports said the woman is a member of a far-right group that claims Chinese interference in the election.

- Leading candidates -

Of the leading candidates, conservative Kim shot to public attention in the aftermath of Yoon's martial law debacle, when he declined to bow in apology to the public for failing to prevent the suspension of civilian rule.

In contrast, lawyer-turned-politician Lee played a central role in stopping the push to suspend civilian rule, livestreaming his frantic drive to parliament and his scramble over the perimeter fence as he and other lawmakers raced to vote down the decree.

He has since vowed to "bring insurrection elements to justice" if elected president.

But whoever succeeds Yoon will have to grapple with a deepening economic downturn, some of the world's lowest birth rates and a soaring cost of living.

He will also have to navigate a mounting superpower standoff between the United States, South Korea's traditional security guarantor, and China, its largest trade partner.

T.Barbieri--INP