Foreign Media Praise "Korea Shows How to Conduct Elections Amid COVID-19"

On the 15th, the day of the 21st National Assembly election, voters are casting their ballots at a polling station set up at Hyehwa Art Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Shinwon Yoon] Major foreign media outlets have praised South Korea for managing large-scale elections amid the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Following South Korea's positive evaluation worldwide for its outstanding quarantine capabilities, the elections held during the COVID-19 emergency are also being regarded as a model case.

Italian media La Stampa published an article titled "South Korea, a country holding elections while wearing masks" in its April 14 edition (local time). The article stated that despite the COVID-19 emergency, South Korea did not give up on the general election, and just as South Korea has become a quarantine model that the world should learn from, it is expected to serve as a model for how to conduct elections in the current situation.

La Stampa introduced, "To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the South Korean government has been conducting a 'social distancing' campaign since March 22, and this regulation is maintained at polling stations as well. Voters visiting polling stations are required to wear masks, undergo temperature checks before voting, and hand sanitizers and sanitary gloves are provided. If the temperature exceeds 37.5 degrees Celsius, voters must cast their ballots at a temporary polling booth set up in a separate location."

It added, "South Korea's general election this time will serve as a model that can be applied to the U.S. presidential election scheduled for November this year," praising the effort.

British broadcaster BBC also covered South Korea's general election as a major news story. BBC described the process voters go through before entering polling stations, explaining, "Voters patiently wait their turn in line according to social distancing markers."

Laura Bicker, BBC's South Korea correspondent, reported, "Some critics feared the voting might be conducted in chaos, but I witnessed early voting being carried out calmly."

Additionally, BBC evaluated, "There are fears that this election might trigger a domestic resurgence, but for now, South Korea seems to be proving once again what is possible amid this pandemic."

Bloomberg News also reported, "While some U.S. states have postponed presidential primaries and France has delayed local elections due to a surge in infections, South Korea contrasts by holding elections," adding, "South Korea's virus election could serve as an example for other national leaders."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.