Despite the continuing coronavirus outbreak, South Korean citizens flocked to the polls for Wednesday’s general elections, pushing the turnout rate to the highest in years.

Nearly 66 percent of the country’s 43 million registered voters had cast their ballot as of 6 p.m., when balloting was still underway for voters quarantined over COVID-19. The turnout was the highest in general elections since 2000.

A record 11 million people -- 26 percent of the electorate -- took part in the early voting, on Friday and Saturday. Some experts said the turnout in early voting was high because voters were looking to minimize the risk of contracting the highly communicable respiratory disease.

“With the record turnout in the early voting aside, more people were confident to come out to vote today, as they had demonstrated maturity and solidarity in countering the virus,” an official at the National Election Commission said.

The parliamentary elections were seen as the test of support for President Moon Jae-in and his fiercely-debated domestic agenda, including the controversial prosecution reform and income-led growth initiative. 

By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)