Mark Napier US Deputy Assistant Secretary "Korea's Election Quarantine Will Be a Lesson for This Year's US Presidential Election"

Government and U.S. Share Election Quarantine Experience in Video Conference

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that on the morning of the 29th, it held a video conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building with officials from the U.S. Department of State and the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), together with the National Election Commission (NEC) and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

On the Korean side, Go Yoon-joo, Director-General of the North American Affairs Bureau, and Kwon Se-jung, Consul General at the Embassy in the U.S., participated. On the U.S. side, Mark Napier, Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the Department of State, along with 49 state and county election officials affiliated with NASS and the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED), attended.

NASS is the oldest nonpartisan public official organization in the U.S. (established in 1904), playing roles such as promoting cooperation in information exchange and public policy development among states. Its members consist of secretaries of state from all 50 U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories. NASED, established in 1989, facilitates communication and coordination among U.S. state governments by sharing best practices related to elections and is composed of state election directors.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Napier expressed gratitude to the Korean government for sharing its election quarantine experience through the video conference. He noted that amid the global spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many countries have canceled or postponed elections, and Korea’s successful conduct of its general election has given hope to democratic countries worldwide, including the U.S.

He emphasized, "Given that the openness and transparency of democracy play a crucial role in responding to COVID-19, democratic procedures must not be weakened due to the pandemic. In this regard, Korea’s general election holds significant implications." He added, "Sharing Korea’s election quarantine experience through this video conference will serve as a valuable lesson for the U.S. in safely conducting its presidential election this year."

In response, Go Yoon-joo, Director-General of the North American Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, evaluated that the two countries have continuously cooperated on COVID-19 through △sharing information on quarantine measures between relevant authorities △supporting Korea’s diagnostic kits and personal protective equipment △mutual assistance for the return of overseas nationals, and that this video conference represents another case of cooperation between the two countries.

Director-General Go stated, "Despite recording the highest voter turnout since 1992 at 66.2% in the April 15 general election, no infection cases related to the election were confirmed." He added, "We are pleased to share Korea’s election quarantine experience, which made this outcome possible, with the U.S. side and will actively share quarantine experiences upon future requests from the U.S."

During the meeting, the Korean side provided a briefing by NEC officials detailing △voting methods (early voting, absentee voting, voting on election day, etc.) △voting methods for confirmed COVID-19 patients (absentee voting, special early voting stations, etc.) △voting methods for self-quarantined individuals △quarantine measures at polling stations (social distancing, disinfection, temperature checks, etc.) △and quarantine measures during the vote counting process.

In the subsequent Q&A session, the U.S. side asked various questions regarding △methods for estimating and actual usage of personal protective equipment and hand sanitizers before the election △specific measures to alleviate infection concerns for voters and election officials △election-related budgets △disinfection and handling of ballots for confirmed and self-quarantined voters △and detailed methods of Korea’s absentee and early voting. The Korean side provided detailed answers to each question.

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