제21대 국회의원선거 투표 시작…'코로나19 전파 가능성 차단한다'<br /><br />Voting for South Korea's twenty-first general election began six hours ago... and we have about the same amount to go.<br />Due to concerns over COVID-19,...election authorities have installed mandatory quarantine measures at polling stations nationwide to prevent the chance of further infections.<br />For more on this, we have our Kan Hyeong-woo standing by at a polling station in central Seoul.<br />Hyeong-woo, fill us in.<br />Ji-yoon, South Korean voters began casting their ballots at 6 AM this morning.<br />Since the coronavirus outbreak is still lingering in the country,... the National Election Commission has prepared a number of preventive measures against the possible spread of COVID-19.<br />Along with bringing an identification card,...voters must wear a protective face mask when entering the polling station.<br />Once voters arrive, they get their temperatures taken.<br />If they don't have a fever or a cough, they have to disinfect their hands with hand sanitizer and put on disposable rubber gloves -- both of which are provided by the polling station they visit.<br />Voters are also required to stand at least one meter apart from each other at all times.<br />Here's how some of the voters feel about this election.<br />"It's my first time voting like this. But I feel clean. I think a lot of people like it this way and I hope they continue to doing it like this."<br />"I think it's a good idea to carry on with the election. It looks like everything is going well as people are wearing masks, gloves and keeping the right distance from each other."<br />Anyone showing respiratory symptoms or a temperature higher than 37-point-5 degrees Celsius will be escorted to a separate area to vote.<br />The polling stations will be open until 6 PM, Korea time.<br />And what about those in self-quarantine?<br />The National Election Commission has made it possible for them to cast their ballots.<br />How's that going to work?<br />That's right, Ji-yoon. The election authorities have allowed people in self-quarantine to vote.<br />There are almost 60-thousand eligible voters in self-isolation.<br />According to Ministry of the Interior and Safety,... around 23 percent of the voters in self-quarantine -- some 13-thousand people -- have applied to cast their ballots.<br />Here are the rules for the voters under self-quarantine.<br />The quarantine will be temporarily lifted from 5:20 PM to 7 PM.<br />Only then can those in self-quarantine head straight to polling stations on foot or in their own cars.<br />Their voting period is from 6 to 7 PM after the other voters are finished.<br />Most of those under quarantine will be accompanied by government officials.<br />But those who aren't,...will be tracked through a mobile app.<br />And of course, they must wear face masks.<br />Given that the self-quarantined voters will cast their ballots after 6 PM,...the exit poll will be released at 6:15 PM.<br />That's all I have at this hour. Back to you. Ji-yoon.<br />
