제21대 국회의원선거 투표 시작…'코로나19 전파 가능성 차단한다'
South Korea's general election for the 300-seats at the National Assembly kicked off earlier today.
Amid the COVID-19 outbreak,...election authorities have installed mandatory quarantine measures at polling stations to prevent infections.
For more on this, we have our Kan Hyeong-woo standing by at a polling station in central Seoul.
Hyeong-woo, fill us in.
Se-min, South Korean voters began casting their ballots at 6 AM this morning.
Some were even lining up before the polling stations opened.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak still lingering in the country,... the National Election Commission has prepared a number of preventive measures against the possible spread of COVID-19.
Along with bringing an identification card,...voters must wear a mask when going to a polling station.
Once voters arrive, they get their temperatures taken.
If they don't have a fever or a cough, they need to disinfect their hands with hand sanitizer and put on disposable plastic gloves both of which are provided by the election officials.
This year, a fingerprint scanner won't be used due to concerns it could spread the virus.
Instead, voters will sign their digital signatures.
Voters are also required to stand at least one meter apart from each other at all times.
Anyone showing respiratory symptoms or a temperature higher than 37-point-5 degrees Celsius will be escorted to a separate area to vote.
The polling stations will be open until 6 PM.
And what about those in self-quarantine?
The National Election Commission has made it possible for them to cast their ballots.
How is that going to work?
That's right Se-min. The election authorities have allowed people in self-quarantine to vote.
There are almost 60-thousand eligible voters in self-isolation.
According to Ministry of the Interior and Safety,... around 23 percent of the voters in self-quarantine some 13-thousand people have applied to cast their ballots.
Here are the rules for the voters under self-quarantine.
The quarantine will be temporarily lifted from 5:20 PM to 7 PM .
Only then can those in self-quarantine head straight to polling stations on foot or in their own cars.
Their voting period is from 6 to 7 PM after the other voters are finished.
Most of those under quarantine will be accompanied by government officials.
But those who aren't,...will be tracked through a mobile application.
And of course, they must wear masks.
Given that the self-quarantined voters will cast their ballots after 6 PM,...the exit poll will be released at 6:15 PM.
That's all I have at this hour. Back to you. Se-min.
#election #coronavirus #SouthKorea
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