Ministry of the Interior and Safety: "Based on General Election Experience, Guarantee Voting Rights for Confirmed and Isolated Voters in April 7 By-Election"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Ahead of the by-elections and re-elections scheduled for April 7, the government announced plans to guarantee voting rights for COVID-19 confirmed patients and those in self-quarantine.

On the 18th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety explained in a regular briefing that, in consultation with related organizations such as the Central Election Commission, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, and local governments, they will ensure voting rights and support quarantine measures despite the spread of COVID-19.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will support disinfection management of voting and counting facilities, hygiene management of election staff, and hygiene management of voters at the request of the Election Commission. They will notify local governments and related agencies about extending the voting deadline for the by-elections (from 18:00 to 20:00) and cooperation guidelines to guarantee voting rights for workers.

An official from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety stated, "We successfully conducted last year's general election without issues despite the spread of COVID-19," adding, "Based on that experience, we will guarantee the voting rights of confirmed patients and those in self-quarantine at a level comparable to the general election."

Furthermore, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety is strengthening public service discipline ahead of the election. Since February, they have established continuous communication channels with public official organizations and promoted collaboration with related agencies. Starting in March, they have set up and operated an anonymous reporting system for election-related corruption, built a cooperative system with the Election Commission, prosecution, police, the Board of Audit and Inspection, and local governments, and organized and operated special inspection teams.

The Ministry plans to report the support status for the by-elections and quarantine measures to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters next week and discuss plans to guarantee voting rights for COVID-19 confirmed patients, support measures for disinfection at voting and counting sites, and more. On the 23rd of this month, and on the 2nd and 6th of next month, they will conduct on-site inspections of mock tests for early voting and main voting days.

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