South Korean voters went to the polls for parliamentary election Wednesday amid the COVID-19 outbreak, according to the National Election Commission, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
The election to vote for 300 members of the National Assembly, which began from 6 a.m. local time, would last for 12 hours at 14,330 polling stations across the country.
Preparations were made to protect voters from possible infection while casting ballots, by disinfecting voting stations and marking the standing line at intervals of at least one meter.
Voters were allowed to enter the voting booths only after wearing masks, checking body temperature, rubbing their hands with sanitizer and putting on disposable plastic gloves.
The election was held at a time of the COVID-19 outbreak across the world that delayed elections in other countries such as Britain, France and the United States.
South Korea has seen a slowing daily caseload of the virus in recent weeks. If the nationwide election is successfully held without any big cluster infection, the country may relieve its rules on social-distancing.
The government has encouraged people to refrain from social gatherings and religious services as cluster infections account for more than 80 percent of the total confirmed COVID-19 cases.