[D-50] Candidates Stuck Due to 'COVID-19'... Election Campaigns Face Complete Halt Crisis

"Election Campaigning Itself Is a Taboo in Daegu" Anxiety Spreads
Jongno's Lee Nak-yeon and Hwang Kyo-ahn Reduce Schedules and Focus on Non-Face-to-Face Activities

Newcomers Greet with Masks and Placards... Frustrated by Lack of Opportunities to Get Known
Claims by Sohn Hak-kyu and Yoo Seong-yeop... Calls for Postponing the General Election Also Arise

On the 21st, when the opening of Tapgol Park was suspended to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the area near Tapgol Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, showed a quiet scene. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Hyemin and Jeon Jinyoung] The novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has emerged right in the middle of the April 15 general election, which is just 50 days away. It is an unprecedented situation where election campaigns must be conducted amid an infectious disease outbreak phase that requires reducing person-to-person contact. Candidates are effectively immobilized, and the election landscape has become even harder to predict.

With the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases surpassing 600 over the weekend, face-to-face election campaigning has virtually come to a halt. In particular, election campaigns in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk (TK) regions, which account for the majority of confirmed cases, are at a complete standstill. A camp official said, "The very term 'election campaigning' has become taboo," adding, "Even non-face-to-face promotion is limited to sending COVID-19 related information to party members via text messages."

The Democratic Party declared a suspension of election campaigning at the party level for one week starting from the 24th. Democratic Party leader Lee Hae-chan said at the Supreme Council meeting that day, "This coming week is a very important turning point," and added, "We will completely suspend face-to-face election campaigning and conduct campaigns online."

In a normal year, competition among candidates centered on the most fiercely contested districts would attract attention, but this time the emphasis is on minimizing such activities. Both former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon and Future United Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, who are competing in Jongno, are refraining from face-to-face campaigning as much as possible. Lee even issued a statement declaring, "I will focus on non-face-to-face election campaigning." Hwang also reduced his schedule, visiting only Changsin-dong that day.

Political newcomers who have missed opportunities to make themselves known are feeling frustrated. Park Mingyu, a Democratic Party preliminary candidate for Gwanak-gap, said, "During morning greetings, I do not hand out business cards and only greet people with a placard while wearing a mask," adding, "It is difficult and truly challenging because people do not gather, and ways to make myself known are limited." A preliminary candidate in the Busan area also said, "I am pleading with people around me to distribute electronic business cards," and added, "Political newcomers have actually been caught in the crossfire."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Among candidates, there is cautious talk about postponing the general election. If COVID-19 does not subside by early to mid-March, calls for postponing the election are expected to gain momentum. In the political sphere, following Bareunmirae Party leader Sohn Hak-kyu, Yoo Seong-yeop, chairman of the Alternative New Party's integration promotion committee, has also advocated for postponing the election.

If the April general election is held without controlling COVID-19, it would be a major setback for the ruling party. A political insider analyzed, "If voting takes place during the peak of COVID-19, voters may have a desire to vent their frustrations on someone, and the public's anxiety is likely to translate into a judgment against the ruling party." This means that no matter how much effort the government makes, the longer the COVID-19 crisis lasts, the more disadvantageous it is for the ruling party.

Conversely, it could be an advantage for the opposition parties, but if their attacks go too far, they could face a backlash. Already, some close aides of leader Hwang and certain preliminary candidates in the Daegu area have drawn public criticism for campaigning with signs labeling the Moon Jae-in administration as "super spreaders." A party official expressed concern, saying, "Some individuals using the infectious disease as a political tool could affect the overall image of the party."

The continued Gwanghwamun rallies led by Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon of the Korea Christian Federation (Han Ki Chong) are also a direct and indirect negative factor. Leader Hwang seemed to be aware of this, stating that day, "There are worried eyes surrounding large-scale rallies. I ask that all rallies be refrained from as much as possible."