UPDATE 2 - Polling closed in South Korea's crucial elections

UPDATES WITH CLOSURE OF POLLING; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE; MINOR EDITS

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA (AA) - Polling concluded in South Korea's crucial parliamentary elections on Wednesday, with an intense contest expected between the ruling party and the main opposition party, which currently controls the legislature.

Voting began at 6:00 a.m. local time (2100GMT Tuesday) and ended at 6:00 p.m. local time (0900GMT) in 14,259 polling stations across the country, Seoul-based Yonhap news agency reported, citing the National Election Commission (NEC).

Around 27.4 million, or 61.8%, of the total 44.28 million eligible voters, cast their ballots as of 4:00 p.m., according to the NEC, including 14 million who had voted before election day.

The final turnout is likely to be slightly higher than that of four years ago, which stood at 66.2%.

If the final turnout surpasses that of the 2020 elections, it would be the highest in 32 years since 71.9% for the parliamentary elections in 1992.

More than 31% of eligible voters – 13.84 million out of over 44.28 million – voted during the two-day early voting period, which ended last Saturday.

It was the first time in the country's electoral history that early voting turnout exceeded 30%. In the 2020 election, the early voting turnout was 24.95%.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon, main opposition Democratic Party (DP) chairman Lee Jae-myung, and former President Moon Jae-in had all voted last Friday.

The vote is seen as a test of the Yeol administration, as the ruling party seeks to increase its representation in the 300-member parliament, where the opposition currently holds a majority.

According to several exit polls, the opposition DP would win more seats than the PPP, with some suggesting that the entire opposition bloc could win more than 200 seats.