Korea to discuss its post-outbreak election experience with American countries

Korea will hold a virtual meeting this week with North and South American countries to share its experience and know-how in controlling the coronavirus pandemic during an election period, the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

The videoconference, slated for Wednesday, will bring together officials from Korea's Foreign Ministry, the National Election Commission and members of The Organization of American States (OAS), the ministry said in a release.

The OAS is a regional cooperation group consisting of 35 states in North and South America, established to promote cooperation and solidarity. Korea has been a permanent observer to the OAS since 1981.

In the meeting, Korea will introduce the quarantine direction and measures it took around the April 15 general elections to prevent the spread of Covid-19. It also plans to make suggestions for virus control to OAS member states based on the countries' virus outbreak situations.

Korea's response system against the novel virus has gained international recognition. Many countries, including the United States, lauded the system as a global model as Seoul managed to flatten the virus curve in the early stage of the pandemic without a lockdown or border closure.

Wednesday's meeting, in particular, is expected to be useful to some South American countries, such as Bolivia, Chile and Peru, as they are going to hold presidential or general elections in the coming months, the ministry said.

Seoul has hosted a series of such virtual sessions since April for more than 110 foreign countries to share its experience in battling the pandemic.

Yonhap