Moon Jae-in’s Democratic party set for majority in South Korea election, exit polls show

Turnout was the highest for a generation, and an exit poll projected the ruling party would take between 155 and 178 places in the National Assembly

Voters have to wear masks over their mouth and nose as well as disposable protective gloves at polling sites

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A voter wearing plastic gloves casts a vote at a polling station in Seoul on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Published: 10:53am, 15 Apr 2020Updated: 3:59pm, 16 Apr 2020

South Korean voters turned out in force on Wednesday to back President Moon Jae-in’s handling of the coronavirus epidemic, putting on compulsory face masks and gloves to give his Democratic party a parliamentary majority, according to exit polls.

South Korea was among the first countries with a major virus outbreak to hold a national election since the global pandemic began, and a raft of safety measures were in place around the vote.

Turnout was the highest for a generation, and an exit poll by national broadcaster KBS projected the ruling Democratic party and a sister organisation would take between 155 and 178 places in the 300-seat National Assembly.

It predicted the main opposition United Front Party and its sister grouping would take between 107 and 130 seats.

Voters in obligatory masks lined up at least one metre (three feet) apart outside polling stations and had their temperatures checked before being allowed in.