The Republic of Korea (ROK)'s  National Election Commission officials sort out ballots for counting at the parliamentary election at a gymnasium in Seoul, the ROK, April 15, 2020. The ROK’s voters wore masks and moved slowly between lines of tape at polling stations on Wednesday to elect lawmakers in the shadows of the spreading coronavirus. (AHN YOUNG-JOON / AP)

SEOUL — The Republic of Korea (ROK)'s President Moon Jae-in’s ruling party won an absolute majority in parliamentary elections, results on Thursday showed, a landslide victory propelled by successes in the country’s efforts to contain the new coronavirus.

The election was watched around the world as one of the first nationwide votes since the pandemic began.

Driven by record high participation in early voting over the weekend, turnout was 66.2 percent, higher than any parliamentary elections held since 1992

Authorities took stringent safety measures, disinfecting all 14,000 polling stations and requiring voters to wear masks, have their temperatures checked, use hand sanitizer and plastic gloves and maintain a safe distance from others.

Driven by record high participation in early voting over the weekend, turnout was 66.2 percent, higher than any parliamentary elections held since 1992, according to the National Election Commission.

About 2,800 coronavirus patients were allowed to vote by mail or in person, using special booths, while more than 13,000 in self-quarantine cast their ballots after polls closed.

According to an exit poll by local broadcaster MBC, 74.2 percent of voters positively saw the Moon administration's response to the coronavirus pandemic, while the negative views stood at merely 22.4 percent.

Moon's approval rating advanced to 55.7 percent this week, much higher than 46.9 percent tallied in early February. It was the highest in about one and a half years, according to local pollster Realmeter.

Support for the Democratic Party came in at 45.2 percent this week. The party's support score has stayed about 10 percent lower than Moon's approval rating.

Approval ratings for Moon and his Democratic Party took a serious blow in February when the first major outbreak hit the ROK , which was already reeling from a stagnant economy and a series of domestic political scandals.

But since then, the administration’s largely successful campaign against the virus provided a boon for Moon and his progressive party in the election.

The ruling camp secured 180 seats in the 300-member, single-chamber parliament, up from the current 120. The main conservative opposition coalition won 103 seats, according to the National Election Commission.

The minor progressive Justice Party gained one constituency seat and five PR slots, while the center-left Open Democratic Party and the centrist People's Party held three respective PR seats. Five independent candidates had the remaining constituency seats.

A major conservative newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported that the country's political landscape was totally changed as the pan-ruling bloc won almost 190 parliamentary seats and seized the legislative power in the National Assembly.

In the last elections held in 2016, then opposition Democratic Party garnered 122 parliamentary seats while then ruling conservative party secured 121 slots.

A key liberal newspaper Hankyoreh said nobody had expected the election results in which the ruling party obtained 180 seats, forecasting that the Democratic Party's legislative power would be more powerful than ever.

The ruling Democratic Party and the liberal bloc would be enabled to pass most of the bills through the parliament despite objections from the United Future Party, except a bill to amend the constitution that requires 200 parliament seats for approval.

 With the landslide victory in elections, the Moon government is expected to step up its efforts to stimulate the flagging economy, caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, and speed up its reform initiatives such as the reform of the prosecution office.

"I hope the parliament could help the government end the COVID-19 pandemic, support microbusiness owners and small companies, and reinvigorate consumer spending," said the microbusiness owner in her 40s.

"I wish the parliament and the government push better for the reform of prosecutors and prevail over the economic crisis," said the unnamed office worker.

“The people empowered our desperate efforts to overcome the national crisis through the election,” Moon said in a statement, thanking citizens for complying with safety guidance and the high voter turnout.

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Former prime minister Lee Nak-yon, who ran the ruling party’s campaign, said in a televised speech the victory was a “strict command” from the voters to tackle the virus and minimise its economic impact.

A ruling party majority in parliament will help Moon to press ahead with his agenda in his final two years in office, including looser fiscal policies aimed at creating jobs, a higher minimum wage and engagement with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

DEFEAT IN DAEGU

The Democratic Party got a boost from the greater Seoul metropolitan area, where it seized more than 80 percent of seats up for grabs.

One setback was in the swanky Gangnam district, where a former DPRK's diplomat defector standing for the main opposition conservative party beat out a four-term ruling party lawmaker by nearly a 20 percent margin.

The United Future Party also swept the region of Daegu and the DPRK's Gyeongsang province, which was hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak.

The area is a longtime conservative stronghold and experts say voter sentiment against the government may have been further fuelled by the initial struggle with the surge in cases there, including controversy over whether a lockdown was necessary.

The ROK has largely managed to bring its epidemic under control without major disruption thanks to an extensive testing campaign and intensive contact tracing, earning praise from the World Health Organization and other nations.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 22 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing the total number to 10,613.

The daily tally of new cases has hovered around 30 in the past week, mostly people arriving from abroad.

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“Though the situation is still tough, I think the government’s response to the coronavirus, including its preparations for the vote, could have helped in the election,” said Han Ga-hae, a 28-year-old voter.