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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Voter turnout in early voting hits record high despite coronavirus pandemic

Voters wait for their turn to cast their ballots at a polling station near Seoul Station in central Seoul, Saturday. YonhapVoter turnout in early voting of next week's parliamentary elections reached a record high Saturday, the election watchdog said, as people cast ballots in advance to avoid crowds amid fears over the new coronavirus.South Korea is scheduled to hold the quadrennial parliamentary polls Wednesday to elect the 300-seat unicameral National Assembly at a time when the country is fighting COVID-19.The turnout tentatively came in at 26.69 percent as 11.7 million voters participated in two days of early voting that ran until Saturday at 3,508 polling stations nationwide, according to the National Election Commission (NEC).It marked a record high since the country adopted the advance voting system for nationwide elections in 2014. The previous highest turnout was 26.06 percent for the May 2017 presidential election.The turnout for the 2016 parliamentary elections reached 12.19 percent.The highest turnout came as voters apparently opted to cast ballots early to avert contact

Apr 11, 2020
Voter turnout in early voting hits record high despite coronavirus pandemic

21st general election overview and how to cast ballots on April 15

By Jung Da-min The general election to form the 21st National Assembly will take place on April 15 under several new conditions, such as the introduction of a new electoral system and under special measures to prevent spread of COVID-19.Voters will be casting two ballots, one for the candidates of the 253 single-member districts and the other for the parties competing over the remaining 47 proportional representation seats. The competition rate is 4.4:1 for the constituency vote and 6.6:1 for the proportional representation vote.(Graph by Lee Soo-jin) One of the striking features of the ballot paper is that it is the longest Korea has ever seen ― about 48.1 centimeters in length ― for the proportional representation vote. A total of 35 parties, 14 more than in the 20th general election in 2016, are participating in it. Due to the new ballot papers being too long to fit the electronic counting machines, election staff will have to count votes by hand.Such an increase in the number of participating parties resulted from a new electoral system which gives an advantage to minor parties w

Apr 11, 2020
21st general election overview and how to cast ballots on April 15

Korea to use electronic bracelets on violators of self-isolation rules

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun wearing a face mask attends a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in Seoul, Saturday. YonhapThe government said Saturday that it will use electronic bracelets to tack people who violate self-isolation rules to better contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said the country will seek to get those who break self-isolation regulations wear the bracelets after the number of cases of people breaching self-quarantine in recent weeks has raised concern. “After much consideration, the government has decided to put electronic bracelets on people who violate self-isolation rules, such as going outside without notice and not answering phone calls,“ Chung said during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in Seoul"We have listened to quarantine experts and gathered opinions from various communities."The health authorities said they plan to start using the bracelets within two weeks but will ask permission before actually strapping such a device to th

Apr 11, 2020
Korea to use electronic bracelets on violators of self-isolation rules

Parties in last-ditch election campaigning

Lee Hae-chan, co-head of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's election strategy committee, speaks during a meeting at the party's regional branch in Gwangju, Wednesday, a week ahead of the April 15 general election. YonhapBy Jung Da-min Political parties are going all out to promote their policy pledges for the April 15 general election as they only have a few more days to campaign before voters cast their ballots.For the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), the main strategy is to divert the high approval rating for President Moon Jae-in to support for the party. As the public has a favorable opinion of the Moon government over its handling of the COVID-19 situation, the DPK has adopted “Overcoming COVID-19” and “Stability in state affairs” as its top campaign slogans. “This year's general election is about overcoming the difficult situation caused by COVID-19, overcoming the economic crisis and stabilizing state affairs,” Lee Hae-chan, party leader and co-head of the DPK's election strategy committee, said Friday during a party meeting in Da

Apr 10, 2020
Parties in last-ditch election campaigning
  • Early voting kicks off

Parties recycling election pledges on public health

Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) Director Jung Eun-kyeong speaks during a press conference at KCDC headquarters in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, April 6. Rival parties are vowing to elevate the status of the KCDC to create a more effective control tower for infectious diseases. The KCDC directorship is a vice-ministerial post. YonhapBy Do Je-hae The COVID-19 crisis has put public health issues at the forefront of voters' attention ahead of the April 15 general election.Ever since the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) back in 2015, experts have raised the need for policies to better prepare for national crises caused by infectious diseases. But even with COVID-19's sweeping impact on various aspects of Korean society, the political parties have been slow to come up with effective policy responses for their campaign platforms.When looking at the election pledges from the rival parties, voters complain that many of them are just repeating the promises made during the 2015 MERS epidemic, which lack detail.A major problem is that the parties' pledges o

Apr 10, 2020By Do Je-hae
Parties recycling election pledges on public health
  • Early voting kicks off

Early voting kicks off

President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook cast ballots at the Samcheong-dong Community Service Center in Seoul near Cheong Wa Dae, Friday, the first day of early voting for the April 15 general election. They wore face masks and protective gloves as part of measures taken at polling stations to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. / YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooThe nation started its two-day early voting, Friday, for next week's general election, with more people than expected casting their ballots despite the COVID-19 pandemic that is restricting outdoor gatherings.According to the National Election Commission (NEC), 3,508 polling stations across the nation opened at 6 a.m. for a 12-hour stretch on the first day of advance voting. Those unable to vote on April 15 can cast their votes until 6 p.m. Saturday. Voters must bring their resident ID card, driver's license or passport.As part of efforts to encourage voters to take part in the election, President Moon Jae-in, along with first lady Kim Jung-sook, voted at the Samcheong-dong Community Service Center near Cheong Wa Da

Apr 10, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Early voting kicks off
  • Parties recycling election pledges on public health
  • 'King Maker,' liberal commentator turn back on their allies
  • Parties in last-ditch election campaigning

President Moon casts early vote for next week's general elections

President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook cast their ballots at a polling station in Seoul, Friday. YonhapWearing a face mask against the coronavirus, President Moon Jae-in cast his ballot Friday, as South Korea began a two-day early voting for the April 15 parliamentary elections that are seen as a referendum on him.He voted at a polling booth established inside a Samcheong-dong community service center near Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul.Moon cast the early ballot as part of efforts to help enhance public awareness of the elections and raise the voter turnout, according to his aides.The early voting will run through 6 p.m. Saturday at 3,508 polling stations across the nation. South Korea is the first major country to hold an in-person national election amid the COVID-19 crisis. Multiple opinion polls showed that Moon's approval ratings have been on the rise in recent weeks, apparently driven by a view that his government has handled the pandemic better than many other countries.The results of the general elections, held every four years, are expected to heavily affect Moon's preside

Apr 10, 2020
President Moon casts early vote for next week's general elections
  • Unfazed by virus scare, Koreans hit polls as early voting begins

Unfazed by virus scare, Koreans hit polls as early voting begins

A voter wearing a protective glove casts his ballot at a polling station near Seoul Station in central Seoul, Friday. YonhapVoters wearing face masks and disposable gloves cast their ballots on Friday, with a number of people queuing in front of polling places near their offices at lunchtime.Having successfully slowed the spread of coronavirus infections recently, South Korea has gone ahead with the quadrennial elections, slated for next Wednesday, to fill the 300-seat unicameral National Assembly.Early voting got underway Friday morning, as health authorities reported 27 additional cases confirmed nationwide the day before.A total of 3,508 polling stations were set up across the country, running from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, according to the National Election Commission (NEC). Voter turnout came in at 5.98 percent as of 1 p.m., the election watchdog said, marking the highest since the early voting system was introduced in 2013 to enable people to vote in person at any polling station in the country.Voter turnout is expected to be higher than ever this year, as p

Apr 10, 2020
Unfazed by virus scare, Koreans hit polls as early voting begins
  • Gov't considers temporarily lifting coronavirus self-isolation rules on poll day
  • President Moon casts early vote for next week's general elections

Election campaign

A voter, wearing a face mask and sunglasses, looks on during an election campaign for next week's general election at a bus terminal in Jungnang-gu, eastern Seoul, Thursday. The parliamentary election will be held next Wednesday. / Yonhap

Apr 9, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Election campaign

Korea to support vaccine development

President Moon Jae-in is briefed by a researcher at the Institut Pasteur Korea in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. YonhapBy Do Je-hae The government will increase its investment in companies developing vaccines and treatments for infectious diseases in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, President Moon Jae-in said Thursday.Moon made the commitment at a conference with relevant experts at the Institut Pasteur Korea in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. ”We will invest 210 billion won for vaccine development against COVID-19,” Moon said at the beginning of the meeting, according to press pool reports. “To start with, we will establish new virus institutes and increase investment into research and development of treatments.”Experts including doctors and CEOs participated in the meeting, including Institut Pasteur Korea CEO Ryu Wang-shick, Celltrion CEO Seo Jung-jin, Genexine Chairman Sung Young-Chul, SK bioscience CTO Kim Hun, and National Institute of Health chief Kwon Jun-wook, among others.“The government will step up cooperation with the private sector to e

Apr 9, 2020By Do Je-hae
Korea to support vaccine development
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