Voters write on ballots for the presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2022. Polls began early Wednesday nationwide to pick South Korea's new president amid a neck-and-neck race between candidates of the ruling Democratic Party and the main conservative opposition People Power Party.(Photo by James Lee/Xinhua)
SEOUL, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Polls began early Wednesday nationwide to pick South Korea's new president amid a neck-and-neck race between candidates of the ruling Democratic Party and the main conservative opposition People Power Party.
The election to select the next president will last from 6:00 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Tuesday) to 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT Wednesday) at 14,464 polling stations across the country.
The voting was extended by one and a half hours to allow COVID-19 patients and those in self-quarantine to cast ballots separately.
The presidential race has been neck-and-neck as voters are obviously divided over the transfer of power.
Recent opinion polls showed approval ratings within a margin of error between Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party and Yoon Suk-yeol of the People Power Party.
The Democratic Party supporters wished Lee inherit the current government of President Moon Jae-in.
Conservative voters supported Yoon for the transfer of the presidential power to the conservative bloc.
An early voting, which was adopted in 2013 and first applied to the 2014 local election, was carried out from March 4 to March 5.
Out of the 44,197,692 eligible voters, 16,323,602 people, or 36.93 percent of the total, cast preliminary votes.
The early voting rate hit a record high, topping the previous presidential election's 26.06 percent. ■
A voter is to cast ballot for the presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2022. Polls began early Wednesday nationwide to pick South Korea's new president amid a neck-and-neck race between candidates of the ruling Democratic Party and the main conservative opposition People Power Party.
The election to select the next president will last from 6:00 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Tuesday) to 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT Wednesday) at 14,464 polling stations across the country. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua)
A voter casts ballot for the presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2022. Polls began early Wednesday nationwide to pick South Korea's new president amid a neck-and-neck race between candidates of the ruling Democratic Party and the main conservative opposition People Power Party.
The election to select the next president will last from 6:00 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Tuesday) to 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT Wednesday) at 14,464 polling stations across the country. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua)
A voter casts ballot for the presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2022. Polls began early Wednesday nationwide to pick South Korea's new president amid a neck-and-neck race between candidates of the ruling Democratic Party and the main conservative opposition People Power Party.
The election to select the next president will last from 6:00 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Tuesday) to 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT Wednesday) at 14,464 polling stations across the country. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua)
Voters write on ballots for the presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2022. Polls began early Wednesday nationwide to pick South Korea's new president amid a neck-and-neck race between candidates of the ruling Democratic Party and the main conservative opposition People Power Party.
The election to select the next president will last from 6:00 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Tuesday) to 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT Wednesday) at 14,464 polling stations across the country. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua)
A voter is to cast ballot for the presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2022. Polls began early Wednesday nationwide to pick South Korea's new president amid a neck-and-neck race between candidates of the ruling Democratic Party and the main conservative opposition People Power Party.
The election to select the next president will last from 6:00 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Tuesday) to 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT Wednesday) at 14,464 polling stations across the country. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua)
A voter casts ballot for the presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2022. Polls began early Wednesday nationwide to pick South Korea's new president amid a neck-and-neck race between candidates of the ruling Democratic Party and the main conservative opposition People Power Party.
The election to select the next president will last from 6:00 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Tuesday) to 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT Wednesday) at 14,464 polling stations across the country. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua)
Voters register for the presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2022. Polls began early Wednesday nationwide to pick South Korea's new president amid a neck-and-neck race between candidates of the ruling Democratic Party and the main conservative opposition People Power Party.
The election to select the next president will last from 6:00 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Tuesday) to 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT Wednesday) at 14,464 polling stations across the country. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua)
A voter casts ballot for the presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2022. Polls began early Wednesday nationwide to pick South Korea's new president amid a neck-and-neck race between candidates of the ruling Democratic Party and the main conservative opposition People Power Party.
The election to select the next president will last from 6:00 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Tuesday) to 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT Wednesday) at 14,464 polling stations across the country. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua)
A voter casts ballot for the presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2022. Polls began early Wednesday nationwide to pick South Korea's new president amid a neck-and-neck race between candidates of the ruling Democratic Party and the main conservative opposition People Power Party.
The election to select the next president will last from 6:00 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Tuesday) to 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT Wednesday) at 14,464 polling stations across the country. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua)
A voter wears plastic gloves to cast ballot for the presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2022. Polls began early Wednesday nationwide to pick South Korea's new president amid a neck-and-neck race between candidates of the ruling Democratic Party and the main conservative opposition People Power Party. The election to select the next president will last from 6:00 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Tuesday) to 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT Wednesday) at 14,464 polling stations across the country. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua)
A staff member provides plastic gloves for a voter at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2022. Polls began early Wednesday nationwide to pick South Korea's new president amid a neck-and-neck race between candidates of the ruling Democratic Party and the main conservative opposition People Power Party. The election to select the next president will last from 6:00 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Tuesday) to 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT Wednesday) at 14,464 polling stations across the country. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua)
A voter has her temperature checked upon arrival to to cast ballot for the presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2022. Polls began early Wednesday nationwide to pick South Korea's new president amid a neck-and-neck race between candidates of the ruling Democratic Party and the main conservative opposition People Power Party. The election to select the next president will last from 6:00 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Tuesday) to 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT Wednesday) at 14,464 polling stations across the country. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua)
A voter wearing a face mask and plastic gloves casts ballot for the presidential election at a polling station in Seoul, South Korea, March 9, 2022. Polls began early Wednesday nationwide to pick South Korea's new president amid a neck-and-neck race between candidates of the ruling Democratic Party and the main conservative opposition People Power Party. The election to select the next president will last from 6:00 a.m. local time (2100 GMT Tuesday) to 6:00 p.m. (0900 GMT Wednesday) at 14,464 polling stations across the country. (Photo by James Lee/Xinhua)