Korea Focus - Briefing No. 01
One election, two winners - South Korea‘s parliamentary elections marked by success in the fight against the corona pandemic
The parliamentary elections in South Korea on 15 April were the first nationwide democratic elections since the outbreak of the corona pandemic. The fact that these elections could be and were held at all is directly related to the strategy that the South Korean government is pursuing to contain the pandemic. The clear winner was the incumbent President Moon Jae-in, who was rewarded in particular for his successful crisis management. But the election is also a victory for the still comparatively young democracy in South Korea. Since the government and the population have learned from the experience of previous epidemics, citizens have not had to choose between exercising their democratic rights and protecting their health.