Moon urges voters to take part in presidential election

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday urged voters to take part in the presidential election, while calling for thorough preparations to prevent lapses shown in early voting and guarantee virus-infected people's right to vote.

Moon made the remarks at a Cabinet meeting, a day before South Koreans vote to pick his successor. In two-day early voting that ended last Saturday, turnout stood at a record of about 37 percent.

"Tomorrow is the time for people to choose a president who will lead state affairs over the next five years," Moon told the meeting.

Moon said he hopes people "show collective intelligence of our people through an active participation in the main vote tomorrow."

The National Election Commission (NEC) has decided to allow COVID-19 patients and those in quarantine to put their votes into ballot boxes themselves after an earlier decision to collect their votes in unofficial containers first sparked widespread complaints of foul play.

The election watchdog came under fire following revelations virus-infected voters and people in self-isolation were not allowed to put their votes into ballot boxes and election officials instead collected them in plastic bags and other unofficial containers during early voting.

Moon ordered the NEC to cope with all possibilities "to guarantee confirmed virus patients' right to vote" by turning lapses in early voting into a lesson.

Wednesday's election comes as the nation is grappling with the worst wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with daily infections hovering around some 200,000.

Moon said Wednesday's election is expected to draw more virus-infected voters than early voting.

Moon asked the NEC to "make utmost efforts so that there is no negligence in managing (the election) until the vote counting is over."

Moon also instructed his aides to make preparations to cooperate with the president-elect on diplomatic and security issues. (Yonhap)