Advance voting to select the new president of South Korea began at dawn Thursday, with higher than expected voter participation.

As of 2 p.m., 8 hours after the polls opened, voter turnout was 7.06 percent, far exceeding the 3.33 percent recorded at the corresponding time in the 2016 general election and 2.9 percent in the 2014 local elections.

About 2.99 million, out of the 42.47 million registered voters, have cast their ballots, according to the National Election Commission.

Many political watchers say the final turnout of the two-day early voting may surpass 20 percent, compared with 12.2 percent in the April 13 general election last year.

“Amid the voting participation fever, there is a high possibility that the turnout will break through the 20 percent mark and approach 25 percent,” said Sehan University professor Bae Jong-ho.

By region, South Jeolla Province topped the list with turnout of 10.5 percent as of 2 p.m., followed by Gwangju with 9.4 percent. Daegu and Incheon recorded the lowest and second-lowest rates of 5.82 percent and 6.31 percent, respectively.

The turnout in Seoul, which has the second-largest number of voters, and Gyeonggi Province, the largest, was 6.65 percent and 6.52 percent, both of which staying below the nationwide average of 7.06 percent.

This election marks the first time in history that voters can choose to cast their ballots on one of three days -- during two days of advance voting and on the official election day on May 9.

“Liberal candidate Moon Jae-in and progressive Sim Sang-jeung were particularly promoting early voting for active participation by young voters,” said Bae Chul-ho of political research firm Mergel.

Meanwhile, some watchers dismissed the theory that high turnout is unfavorable to conservative or centrist candidates.

Some predicts the turnout as of 8 p.m. on May 9 could hover 80 percent, while it was 75.8 percent in the 2012 and 63 percent in the 2007 presidential elections.

“I think the turnout will reach 82.0 percent,” formerly conservative lawmaker Jeon Yeo-ok said on a TV program. She commented on voters’ rising interest in politics in the wake of the Park Geun-hye scandal.

Moon of the Democratic Party of Korea, who is leading the race by a margin of nearly 20 percentage points in polls, said that “national unity and reforms are more possible (when he receives) as many votes as possible.”

Ahn Cheol-soo of the centrist People’s Party said he would seek policy coordination with two other candidates -- Yoo Seong-min of the conservative Bareun Party and Sim of the Justice Party -- if elected.

Hong Joon-pyo of the conservative Liberty Korea Party said his approval rating would overtake that of Moon this Sunday, two days before the election day.

By Kim Yon-se (kys@heraldcorp.com)