Absentee voting for the nation's 16th presidential election began Thursday at 490 polling stations nationwide. According to the National Election Commission, some 867,000 voters, or 2.5 percent of the electorate are eligible to cast their ballots during the three-day absentee voting period from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

Registered absentee voters who are unable to make it to the polls can mail in their ballots instead by election day December 19. Meanwhile, for the first time in Korea's election history polling booths have been installed at three university campuses for two days starting Thursday.

(Arirang TV)