[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] As the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) reached 893, showing a frightening spread, prospective candidates who found face-to-face election campaigning impossible are turning to social network services (SNS) and phone campaigning. The United Future Party is also hastening preparations for non-face-to-face elections by conducting delayed interviews for the Daegu-Gyeongbuk (TK) region via video calls and expanding YouTube promotions.
Hwang Kyo-ahn, leader of the United Future Party who declared his candidacy for Jongno District, announced the opening of his Jongno election office on his blog on the 24th, along with the addresses of his operating SNS accounts including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, KakaoStory, Band, and Twitter. This is to deliver information through various SNS channels, anticipating that face-to-face contact campaigning will be difficult due to COVID-19. Hwang learned that floor leader Shim Jae-cheol had contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient and underwent testing the previous day, canceling all scheduled public events. He received a negative test result that morning but plans to continue only with private schedules.
On the 23rd, a day earlier, the camp of former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon, competing for Jongno District, announced a change in campaigning methods due to COVID-19 concerns by launching the YouTube channel 'Lee Nak-yeon TV' and expanding online communication. By the third day since its launch, the channel's subscribers exceeded 13,200, showing a strong response. On the first day, a video containing a launch greeting was posted, and on the 24th, a video featuring Lee, who serves as the head of the COVID-19 countermeasures committee, was uploaded. The two videos received about 800 comments.
Declarations to halt contact election campaigning by prospective candidates are also continuing nationwide. Hong Joon-pyo, former leader of the Liberty Korea Party, who registered as a prospective candidate in Yangsan and opened an election office, stated on Facebook, "Due to the COVID-19 situation, I cannot campaign, so from tomorrow I will have no choice but to greet by phone." Park Jung, Democratic Party member for Paju-si Eul, declared the suspension of face-to-face campaigning and opened a 24-hour online election office called 'Kakao Camp' through SNS. Additionally, Kang Min-guk, United Future Party prospective candidate for Jinju Eul, temporarily closed his election office and decided to communicate via SNS and phone, while Kim Min-chul, Democratic Party prospective candidate for Uijeongbu Eul, announced plans to suspend face-to-face contact campaigning for a week.
The spread of COVID-19 is affecting not only election campaigning but also the nomination process. The United Future Party decided to conduct the postponed TK nomination interviews via video interviews due to the COVID-19 situation. Kim Hyung-oh, chairman of the United Future Party's nomination committee, stated on the 24th, "The COVID-19 situation is severe, making it difficult for applicants in the TK region to gather," and announced that video interviews will be held starting from the 2nd of next month. Furthermore, the United Future Party is publicly recruiting YouTube supporters from the 24th to the 2nd of next month for party-level SNS promotion. Selected YouTubers will create creative content promoting the party's pledges, policies, and figures, freely upload it on their own YouTube channels, and produce live broadcast content from election campaign sites.
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