Voter turnout for ongoing local elections as of 3 p.m. Wednesday stood at 43-point-one percent, according to the National Election Commission.

The current participation rate combines early voting, during which 20-point-62 percent of the South Korean electorate had cast their ballots last Friday and Saturday.

This means out of some 44-point-three million eligible voters, some 19 million have cast their ballots so far.

The 43-point-one percent turnout thus far is seven percentage points lower than the corresponding time in the 2018 local elections, which had ended with a fresh high.

By region, South Jeolla Province had the highest turnout of 52-point-three percent, with Gangwon and North Gyeongsang Provinces also posting over 46 percent. Seoul's turnout stood at 44-point-two percent.

The general public will be able to vote until 6 p.m. COVID-19 patients and those under quarantine will cast their votes between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.