South Koreans back Moon in poll
SEOUL: South Korean voters turned out in force yesterday to back President Moon Jaein’s handling of the coronavirus epidemic, putting on compulsory face masks and gloves to give his Democratic party a parliamentary majority according to exit polls.
South Korea was among the first countries with a major virus outbreak to hold a national election since the global pandemic began, and a raft of safety measures were in place around the vote.
Turnout was the highest for a generation, and an exit poll by national broadcaster KBS projected the ruling Democratic party and a sister organisation would take between 155 and 178 places in the 300-seat National Assembly.
It predicted the main opposition United Front Party and its sister grouping would take between 107 and 130 seats.
Voters in obligatory masks lined up at least one metre apart outside polling stations and had their temperatures checked before being allowed in.
All had to clean their hands with sanitiser and don plastic gloves, while those with fevers cast their ballots in separate
It is done very well. Because of the coronavirus, people are keeping their distance and everyone is wearing gloves.
Kim Gwang-woo
booths that were disinfected after each use.
“It is done very well,” said 80year-old voter Kim Gwang-woo.
“Because of the coronavirus, people are keeping their distance and everyone is wearing gloves.”
For a time, South Korea had the world’s second-largest outbreak, before it was largely brought under control through widespread testing and a contact-tracing drive, along with widely observed social distancing.
South Korea yesterday announced 27 new virus cases – the seventh consecutive day with fewer than 40. Overall, the country has had nearly 11,000 infections and 225 deaths.
Those self-quarantining at home and asymptomatic were allowed to vote immediately after the polls closed, although those showing coronavirus symptoms were effectively disenfranchised.
Special polling stations had earlier been set up at central quarantine facilities to enable the confined to vote.
Campaigning was also affected by the outbreak: instead of the traditional handshakes and distributing of name cards, candidates kept their distance from citizens, bowing and offering an occasional fist bump.
Many turned to online media such as YouTube and Instagram to connect with voters, while some even volunteered to disinfect parts of their constituencies.
A survey conducted by Gallup Korea showed that 27 per cent of respondents were reluctant to vote due to the epidemic.
But in the event turnout reached at least 63.8 per cent, the highest in a parliamentary poll since at least 2000.