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South Korean voters went to the polls on Wednesday (15) (local time) wearing masks, gloves and distanced from each other. He South Korean legislative elections they are the first local government test since the start of the new coronavirus pandemic.
The rapid spread of Covid-19 led several sectors to call for elections to be postponed. However, President Moon Jae-In insisted on keeping the voting date, considered a referendum on government action in the midst of the pandemic.
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South Korean President Moon-Jae-in in 2019 photo – Photo: South Korean Presidential Blue House via AP
Voters hospitalized due to the new coronavirus were allowed to vote by mail, if they had registered in time. According to the Associated Press, about 400 patients participated in the election.
South Korea was praised for expanding the number of tests and adopting isolation measures in time to halt the rapid spread of the disease. MORE INFORMATION IN THE VIDEO BELOW.
South Korea proves mass testing effective in coronavirus war
According to the Johns Hopkins American University, South Korea registered 222 deaths from Covid-19 until this Tuesday – number considered proportionally low compared to more than 10,000 confirmed cases of the disease in the country.
Coronavirus, corruption and economy.
Voters vote in South Korea’s legislative elections wearing masks and gloves on Wednesday (15) – Photo: Ahn Young-joon / AP Photo
Even with the Covid-19 crisis, other political issues continue to guide the country’s voters. The Associated Press report explains that the South Korean electorate is fairly divided between ideological groups, regional issues, and even generation differences.
In these elections, the South Koreans will choose the new configuration of the parliament for a period of four years. Research indicates favoritism of Democratic party, by President Moon, especially for what the voters considered the good performance of the country in the fight against Covid-19.
Still, according to the Nikkei agency, conservatives in the United Future Party Try to narrow the gap in the number of MPs to increase pressure on the Moon government. The president is criticized for corruption scandals involving government advisers and the poor performance of the economy in recent months.
Elections in times of coronavirus
/i.s3.glbimg.com/v1/AUTH_59edd422c0c84a879bd37670ae4f538a/internal_photos/bs/2020/X/K/7IVrDiREi19nma3359DA/votacao.jpg "Man wears mask to vote in the first round of the municipal elections in Paris, France, on March 15 - Photo: Gonzalo Fuentes / Reuters")
The man wears a mask to vote in the first round of the municipal elections in Paris, France, on March 15 – Photo: Gonzalo Fuentes / Reuters
South Korea is not the first country to maintain the electoral calendar amid the Covid-19 pandemic. When the cases of the disease began to push the authorities to take containment measures, France insisted on organizing the first round of the municipal elections on the date scheduled for March. However, with the worsening crisis, the second round was postponed.
