Exercise, issues, and turnout are new corona ... April 8, 17:49

Korea has more than 10,000 new coronavirus infections. Although the number of infected people has been declining compared to a certain period of time, the impact has continued, including calls for self-restraint. The general elections held in such a setting are unusual for both candidates and voters.
(Seoul Bureau reporter Kazuto Sassa)

Unusual election campaign

Midnight on April 2. The full-fledged election campaign has begun, and the parties have begun to move together. However, the election campaign has changed completely.

First of all, the mask is noticeable. As a candidate, I would like to know the face, but when approaching the voters, I have to use nerves.

I try to write my own name on the mask and put a transparent plastic plate on my mouth to replace the mask.

Also, instead of shaking hands, some candidates dodge greetings or apply disinfectant in a fist-bump manner.

Intensified battle on SNS

With large-scale meetings in mind, candidates are focusing on the use of SNS. Election campaigns using the Internet have been active in South Korea for a long time, but this time each candidate is focusing on it.

Many candidates answer their voters' questions and introduce their own activities through SNS. Whether it's disinfection or visiting a local canteen where sales have fallen due to the spread of the infection, there are many things.

At issue is the new coronavirus

This election is positioned as an "interim evaluation" of President Moon Jae-in (Munjai Tora), whose five-year term is just over two years. The ruling party, the Democratic Party, which supports the President, and the Future Opposition Party, the largest conservative opposition party, are fighting for the first party.Originally, the debate over President Moon's economic policy and response to North Korea. Was expected to unfold.

However, the situation has changed when the new coronavirus infection spreads rapidly in February. The point of the ruling and opposition parties' focus has been on responding to the new coronavirus.

Opposition parties rigorously pursued the unsuccessful launch of the Mun administration as the cause of the spread.

On February 20, when the first fatalities were confirmed, President Moon talked with Pont Jun-ho, director of the Academy Award-winning movie Parasite Half-Underground, and chatted in the news. Some have criticized it as lacking.

In late February, the number of infected people exceeded 3,000. According to a poll conducted by the research institution Korea Gallup, President Moon's approval rating dropped to the lower 40% range.

Slowing pace of infection expansion

The Mun administration, which has become more aggressive, has conducted thorough inspections to contain it. President Moon himself emphasized his stance of taking the lead by responding to the most severely infected southern Daegu by holding a countermeasure meeting and visiting a company that manufactures test kits. did.

“Drive-through inspection”, which was introduced before the world and was able to be inspected while riding in a car, attracted attention from overseas.

These efforts have also been successful, and the number of infected people, which has exceeded 900 people a day, has gradually started to decline, with more than 100 people recently becoming noticeable.

Accordingly, President Moon's approval rating has improved. Nearly half of those who want the ruling party's victory seem to be becoming a tailwind.

In February, there were more people expecting opposition victory, so this was the opposite.

However, in South Korea, “corona fatigue” is spreading, as people are calling out to go out and schools are closed. If the infection spreads further, it is undeniable that the frustration could go to the Moon administration and the ruling party at once.

Impact on voters

There is concern that turnout may be affected. Many people may want to vote but cannot vote.

For example, a mail-voting mechanism has been created for quarantined people, but applications have already been closed by March. It is unclear how people who have been infected just before the voting date or who have been returned from abroad and isolated will vote.

With the spread of infections around the world, more than 50 countries will be unable to vote abroad and more than 80,000 people will be unable to vote.

What happens to turnout

Some people speculate that uninfected people may not go to the polls for fear of getting infected at polling places. Some analysts have suggested that the turnout may drop significantly.

On the other hand, in opinion polls, 80% of the respondents answered that they would go to vote, which is 8 points higher than the same time four years ago. There is some speculation that more people will go to the polls because of the high interest in responding to the new coronavirus.

In the future, the outcome of the new coronavirus infection will likely determine the outcome of the election, and the ruling, opposition and voters are unprecedented elections that have never been experienced before.

Seoul Bureau correspondent, Kazuto Sassa