South Koreans don face masks, plastic gloves to vote, as new coronavirus cases drop to record low

As coronavirus infections in South Korea dropped to a record low on Friday, its citizens streamed into polling stations clad in face masks and plastic gloves as early voting began for next Wednesday’s general election.

South Korea is the first major country to hold a general election in the throes of the coronavirus crisis, with several US states delaying presidential primaries and France suspending some local elections. Singapore has also held off calling an expected vote amid new measures restricting people’s movement to avoid a further spread of the disease.

About 44 million eligible voters in South Korea will cast their ballot for 300 National Assembly seats, and most are expected to support President Moon Jae-in’s Democratic Party, marking a reversal of fortunes for a leader who had seen public support wane last year amid corruption scandals and an economic slowdown.

The city of Daegu, once the worst-hit area outside mainland China, reported zero new cases for the first time since late February. Daegu accounts for more than half of South Korea’s 10,450 infections with at least 6,807 confirmed cases, many of these linked to a controversial church.