In the Era of 100,000 COVID Cases, Are Large Crowds at the Presidential Election Safe?

Presidential Candidates' Street Campaigns
Up to 1,000 Supporters Gathered
Experts Say "Efforts to Minimize Gatherings Are Virtuous"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Kum Boryeong and Park Juni] As the number of new COVID-19 cases exceeded 90,000 per day, an emergency has been declared for the presidential election campaigns. Candidates have been holding “crowd rallies” daily to consolidate votes, raising concerns about virus transmission. However, there is no clear solution to this issue, and worries are deepening.

According to political circles on the 17th, since the official election campaign began on the 15th, presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, Yoon Seok-youl of the People Power Party, and Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party have been conducting base rallies at places with high foot traffic such as train stations, express bus terminals, traditional markets, and intersections. The campaign venues are crowded with supporters ranging from several dozen to over 1,000 people. Although everyone is wearing masks, the atmosphere involves close proximity to see the candidates and loud cheering. The candidates themselves are seen shaking hands with citizens and engaging in close conversations.

Several confirmed cases have already emerged within each party. In the Democratic Party, leader Song Young-gil and chief spokesperson Park Chan-dae tested positive, while in the People Power Party, chief spokesperson Lee Yang-su also tested positive, temporarily halting their activities. Due to repeated positive cases in the People Power Party’s public relations team, there was even discussion about holding meetings via Telegram.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, each party maintains that there is no alternative other than adhering to basic quarantine rules at campaign sites. With the presidential election just 20 days away, they believe they must go to places where people gather to maximize voter support. Although there are COVID-19 related manuals, they only include “wearing masks,” “hand sanitizing,” and “frequent replacement of microphone covers.”

On the same day, Kwon Hyuk-ki, deputy head of public relations for the Democratic Party’s election committee, said in a phone interview, “We are strictly following quarantine guidelines such as wearing masks and using hand sanitizers,” emphasizing that on-site campaigning is inevitable during the presidential election campaign period. Chief spokesperson Lee also explained, “We have to campaign while following quarantine rules and preparing for COVID-19, but there is no other way. We cannot rely solely on social media campaigns ahead of the election; we need to see and meet people in markets to form public opinion there.”

Professor Lee Jae-gap of Hallym University’s Infectious Diseases Department said, “It should be considered a virtue during the COVID-19 period to minimize gatherings of large crowds,” adding, “It would be good if presidential candidates clearly state their principles and declare that they will not negatively impact the spread of infections.”

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