입법•사법•행정 3부까지 코로나19 비상…국회 일시 '셧다운'<br /><br />South Korea confirmed 320 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday,... including 307 local infections, raising the total caseload to 18-thousand-265.<br />That virus has also spread to the political arena.<br />South Korea's National Assembly will be temporarily closed after a reporter covering the ruling party tested positive for COVID-19.<br />Lee Seung-jae reports.<br />The National Assembly has made the decision to close on Thursday,... after a reporter covering the ruling party tested positive for COVID-19 the previous day.<br />The decision came after an emergency COVID-19 response meeting was held to assess the health risk.<br />The closure will push back nine committee meetings set for Thursday.<br />The assembly also added that over 50 people,... including 14 senior members of the Democratic Party came into close contact with the infected reporter.<br />This includes ruling party chairman Lee Hae-chan and floor leader Kim Tae-nyeon,... as the photo journalist was present for a Supreme Council meeting held earlier in the day.<br />Lee voluntarily went under self-quarantine,... with his office cancelling all his immediate appointments,... with Kim and other officials self-isolating, as well.<br />Several government offices also halted operations on Wednesday after COVID-19 cases were reported at their buildings.<br />This includes a confirmed COVID-19 case being reported at the central government complex in Seoul on Wednesday,... forcing the government to shut down the main building's entire third floor, where the patient stayed.<br />The military is also on edge after a civilian worker at the Ministry of Defense's Cyber Operations Command tested positive on Wednesday.<br />Meanwhile,... the southwestern city of Gwangju, which was successful in containing its first outbreak last month,... is now seeing an uptick in new cases.<br />With at least 30 cases being reported from a church in the city,... the outbreak has now spread to multiple office buildings, day care centers, cram schools and medical institutions where the church members visited.<br />With no slow down,... health officials and the government are pondering whether to raise social distancing level to the highest level - three.<br />Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.<br />
