"Will the Presidential Election Come to a Complete Stop?" Political Circles on High Alert Amid Unprecedented 'Corona Presidential Election'

Following the April 7 By-Elections, the 'Corona Presidential Election'... Red Alert for Political Quarantine
High Risk of Community Spread and Campaign Disruptions if Presidential Candidates or Campaign Staff Test Positive
Lee Jae-myung and Kim Hye-kyung Couple Test 'Negative' and Resume Official Schedule... Kim Ki-hyun and Kim Jin-tae Test 'Positive'
Government Announces Strengthened Quarantine Measures... Emphasizes "Respond Actively with Vaccination"

Yoon Seok-yeol, People Power Party presidential candidate (left) Lee Jae-myung, Democratic Party presidential candidate (right) [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] As the number of severe COVID-19 patients in South Korea reaches an all-time high, the political sphere is on high alert. Concerns have been raised that if presidential candidates and key members of election campaign committees become infected with COVID-19, it could disrupt election campaigns and increase the risk of virus transmission within local communities during campaign activities. As COVID-19 cases surge, presidential candidates from both ruling and opposition parties are engaged in disputes over problem-solving and accountability.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) Central Disease Control Headquarters reported 78 new deaths and 1,025 severe cases as of midnight on the 19th. This marks the second consecutive day with severe cases exceeding 1,000, following 1,016 cases the previous day. The cumulative death toll stands at 4,722.

The government has also predicted that if the situation worsens, up to 20,000 new cases could occur in January next year. KDCA Commissioner Jeong Eun-kyeong warned during a regular briefing on the 16th, "If the outbreak worsens, about 10,000 cases could occur this month, and up to 20,000 cases in January next year."

As the presidential election phase begins, the political sphere remains vigilant amid the COVID-19 crisis. If presidential candidates or key election committee members, who meet many people during campaign activities, become infected, it could not only increase the risk of virus transmission in local communities but also impact the presidential campaign.

In this context, on the 15th, Kim Ki-hyun, the floor leader of the People Power Party, tested positive for COVID-19. It is reported that he came into contact with an infected person while dining with residents in his constituency, Ulsan, on the weekend of the 11th.

After recognizing his contact with an infected person, Kim immediately took a first test, which was negative, and entered self-quarantine. However, he tested positive in a second test conducted on the 15th and is currently receiving treatment in Ulsan. Kim had completed his second COVID-19 vaccination but was a breakthrough infection case.

However, it is analyzed that there will be no disruption to the People Power Party's election campaign. It was confirmed that after Kim's contact with the infected person on the 11th, he had no contact with presidential candidate Yoon Seok-youl or other campaign committee members.

Previously, former lawmaker Kim Jin-tae, who chaired the People Power Party's "Special Committee for Verifying Lee Jae-myung's Corruption," also tested positive for COVID-19 on the 10th and was quarantined.

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, and his wife Kim Hye-kyung are attending Sunday worship and praying at Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul on the 19th. Photo by Yonhap News

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, and his wife Kim Hye-kyung also underwent COVID-19 testing. After learning that a party official they met during a visit to the Dabudong War Memorial in Chilgok-gun, Gyeongbuk, on the 11th had tested positive, they took PCR tests at a screening clinic on the 14th.

Fortunately, both Lee and Kim tested negative on the 15th and resumed official schedules. On that day, Lee visited the Boramae Hospital screening clinic in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, to encourage medical staff and listen to their difficulties, engaging in a "COVID-19 livelihood" campaign. On the morning of the 18th, he received a third COVID-19 vaccine booster shot at an internal medicine hospital in Seoul. Lee and his wife Kim Hye-kyung then attended a service at Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul on the 19th.

This is not the first time the political sphere has faced a COVID-19 emergency during an election phase. Ahead of the April 7 by-elections, on March 27, Park Young-sun, the Democratic Party's Seoul mayoral candidate, temporarily suspended her campaign. This was after Rep. Jung Cheong-rae, who accompanied her campaign in Mapo-gu, Seoul, the previous day, was classified as a close contact after meeting an infected person. Campaign events scheduled in alleys of Jungnang-gu and Gangdong-gu, Seoul, were also fully canceled.

Meanwhile, as the spread of COVID-19 emerges as a major variable in the presidential election, candidates from both ruling and opposition parties are engaged in daily disputes over COVID-19-related support measures and accountability. Candidate Lee emphasized proactive compensation and support separate from the government's small business aid, while candidate Yoon strongly criticized the government's social distancing measures, stressing the importance of scientific rather than political quarantine.

On the 17th, Lee chaired the first meeting of the Democratic Party's Special Committee for COVID-19 Crisis Response at the party headquarters, emphasizing, "It is important to ensure that COVID-19 quarantine measures do not result in suffering or losses for the people through full compensation."

He added, "We thought we were overcoming COVID-19 pain with 'With Corona,' but since we are retreating again, the government needs to take sufficient measures so that the public can bear the difficulties of strengthened quarantine rules. Since the opposition has also advocated for support of 50 trillion to 100 trillion won, I hope the government respects the positions of both ruling and opposition parties and takes proactive measures."

He further urged, "At the very least, the government must firmly build trust so that cooperating with quarantine measures is not seen as a loss. There seem to be difficulties in securing hospital beds, and I hope measures will be taken regarding fairness in strengthening quarantine rules on the ground."

On the same day, candidate Yoon visited the Korean Medical Association in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, for a meeting, emphasizing, "We need to shift to scientific distancing that minimizes disruption to people's daily lives and self-employed livelihoods, not uniform distancing, and to scientific quarantine rather than political quarantine." Lee said, "We need to explain to the public that we are better at quarantine than the Democratic Party," and Kim Jong-in, the general election committee chairman, stated, "The current crisis stems from the president's arrogance in ignoring experts' warnings," urging, "The government must support medical staff so they can work properly."

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