According to the National Election Commission (NEC) on Wednesday, candidates and their supporters will be allowed to actively canvass at the stroke of midnight and will have about two weeks to win over voters until the eve of election day slated for June 3.
During the period, they will be allowed to give speeches in public places between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., distribute campaign materials and put up campaign banners.
Meanwhile, voters can cast their ballots from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at designated polling stations across the country to elect about 4,000 metropolitan mayors, provincial governors, and other local government heads.
South Korean citizens aged 18 or older or those born on or before June 4, 2008, are eligible to vote. Two-day early voting will also be available on May 29 and 30 for those who are unable to vote on election day.
South Koreans residing overseas will also be allowed to vote at polling stations set up at diplomatic missions abroad, provided they register for absentee voting in advance. Foreigners living in South Korea are also eligible to vote if they are 18 or older and have held permanent residency for more than three years.
The upcoming local elections are widely seen in effect as a midterm referendum on President Lee Jae Myung, marking his first nationwide gauge of public support since taking office last June following the ouster of disgraced former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched Dec. 3 declaration of martial law in 2024, although the already-faltering PPP, plagued by internal disputes, appears headed for a resounding defeat.
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