[Excerpt from the 207th Supreme Council Meeting]

“Entry of foreign nationals coming from Hubei Province will be banned, and the DPK is to carry out election campaigns with a greater emphasis placed on epidemic prevention.”



□ February 3rd, 2020 (Mon..) 

■ Lee Hae-chan, Chairman of the DPK

Yesterday, the Korean government announced countermeasures to the recent coronavirus outbreak, including restricting entry of foreign nationals from Hubei Province, China. Most of all, we need to pay special attention to locals in Asan and Jincheon who have welcomed Korean nationals from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, in order to prevent any illness to befall them. It is encouraged to actively take advantage of reserve funds as well as disaster management funds to provide socially disadvantaged groups with masks and hand sanitizers, and for prevention and disinfection in public places against the spread of the virus. 

Only about seventy days are left before the upcoming general elections. However, it is undesirable to carry out election campaigning that might stir public fears in the face of a national health emergency regarding the spread of the coronavirus. Regarding election campaigning, the ruling DPK last week made a policy that prioritizes the prevention of the epidemic. As part of the party’s efforts, we are encouraging candidates to avoid physical contact with constituents, including handshaking, and to delay large gatherings of people such as opening ceremonies of electioneering offices until the epidemic is contained.

It is encouraged for representative groups of the DPK to engage in thorough preparations and negotiations to ensure the upcoming sessions of the National Assembly in February will give the public a positive image. We need to pay more attention on a parliamentary level to bills on public safety laws, including the Quarantine and Livestock Industry Acts that are designed to strengthen response systems against new infectious diseases, and the Fine Dust Act, as well as countermeasures to the coronavirus outbreak. I also propose that opposition parties should agree to hold provisional sessions of the National Assembly in February and work together with the ruling DPK to ensure that parliament focuses on public safety and the livelihood of the people, thus creating an image of hard work, free of political strife.