Friday, June 5, 2026

[Report] "I have to get to work" ... Sangdo-dong residents line up before voting even starts

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2026-06-03 07:49:54
Updated
2026-06-03 07:49:54
On the morning of the main voting day for the June 3 local elections and National Assembly by-elections, a voter who had just finished an early-morning run casts the first ballot into the box at Polling Station No. 5 in Sangdo 4-dong, set up at the Sangdo 4-dong Community Service Center in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Photo = Choi Seung-han
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On the morning of the main voting day for the June 3 local elections and National Assembly by-elections, voters line up to verify their identities at Polling Station No. 5 in Sangdo 4-dong, set up at the Sangdo 4-dong Community Service Center in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. Photo = Choi Seung-han
\r\n[The Financial News] On the morning of June 3, when voting began for the local elections and National Assembly by-elections, voters started arriving early at polling stations set up at the Sangdo 4-dong Community Service Center in Dongjak-gu, Seoul.
Around 5:30 a.m. that day, about 10 residents were already lined up in front of the multipurpose hall on the third floor of the Sangdo 4-dong Community Service Center, waiting for the polls to open. At Polling Station No. 5 in Sangdo 4-dong, young adults returning from an early workout and middle-aged voters waited quietly for their turn. A notice for numbered tickets was posted in the hallway, while inside the polling station, booths, ballot boxes, and election workers were preparing for the start of voting.
As 6 a.m. approached, the line grew longer. Some voters, citing work schedules, asked to be allowed in before voting officially began and argued with staff on site. One resident complained, saying, "I have to get to work," but eventually left without waiting for the polls to open.
At exactly 6 a.m., an election worker announced the start of voting, and the waiting voters entered the polling station one by one. After identity checks, they received their ballots and headed to the booths. At the Sangdo 4-dong polling station, voting was conducted by receiving ballots twice and placing them into separate ballot boxes.
With reporters crowding the polling station, the area became somewhat congested. Some voters mistook the line and protested, saying, "The line isn't getting any shorter," prompting election workers to guide the flow and restore order. In another case, a voter who came out of the booth without folding the marked ballot received separate instructions from a poll worker.
The 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections and National Assembly by-elections are being held from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 14,288 polling stations nationwide. In this election, a total of 4,227 officials will be elected, including 16 metropolitan and provincial governors, 16 superintendents of education, 227 heads of basic local governments, 933 metropolitan and provincial council members, and 3,035 basic local council members.
According to the National Election Commission (NEC), turnout stood at 2.0% nationwide and 1.6% in Seoul as of 7 a.m. that day.
The nationwide turnout for early voting, held on May 29 and 30, was 23.51%.
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An election worker at the Sangdo-dong polling station gives next-step instructions to a resident who has finished voting. Photo = Choi Seung-han
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A voter at Polling Station No. 5 in Sangdo 4-dong places a ballot into the box. Photo = Choi Seung-han
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425_sama@fnnews.com Choi Seung-han Reporter