Gwangjin-gu, Preemptive Testing for Poll Workers in Seoul Mayoral By-election

Preemptive Testing for Voting and Counting Staff Participating on Election Day and Early Voting... Minimizing Election Work Disruptions by Blocking Cluster Infections and Early Detection of Confirmed Cases

Gwangjin District Office employee undergoing a preliminary test

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwangjin-gu (District Mayor Kim Seon-gap) will conduct preemptive testing for election workers involved in voting and vote counting at the forefront of election operations to create a safe voting environment ahead of the Seoul mayoral by-election scheduled for April 7.

This preemptive testing is designed to prevent potential local cluster infections caused by asymptomatic or latent COVID-19 carriers, detect confirmed cases early, and minimize election disruptions.

A total of 772 Gwangjin-gu public officials, including local voting workers conducting the main voting on April 7, early voting workers on April 2-3, and vote counting workers assisting with counting on April 7-8, will promptly undergo preemptive testing.

Additionally, in cooperation with the Gwangjin-gu Election Commission, not only district office staff but also observers participating in the election, election commissioners, and general residents supporting voting and counting operations will be subject to preemptive testing.

Kim Seon-gap, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, stated, “Since a confirmed case among voting workers at the forefront of election operations could lead to explosive community transmission affecting approximately 300,000 local voters, we decided to conduct preemptive testing. We also ask residents to participate in COVID-19 prevention measures such as maintaining distance from others to ensure a safe election.”

Meanwhile, the Seoul mayoral by-election will be held on April 7 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 84 polling stations within the district for voters aged 18 and older. Early voting will be available on April 2-3 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for those who find it difficult to participate on the official election day.