NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CLOSES OVER CONFIRMED CASE

[Anchor Lead]

More than 200 cases of COVID-19 are being recorded in the Seoul metropolitan area for days now. A reporter who recently visited the National Assembly has tested positive, promoting the closure of the parliament building. Disruptions in parliamentary sessions will likely be inevitable.

[Pkg]

A reporter who had been covering the Democratic Party's executive committee meeting has tested positive for COVID-19. After a family meal on August 23, the reporter took two days off before attending the meeting on Wednesday. After the reporter's relatives tested positive for COVID-19, the reporter also received testing and the results came back positive on Wednesday evening. Some 50 lawmakers, other journalists and National Assembly staff workers are known to have had direct or indirect contact with the reporter in question. Democratic Party executives including its chairman and floor leader are now under self-quarantine. They will receive testing if quarantine officials decide it's necessary. The Democratic Party has cancelled all of its official events. The National Assembly building is temporarily closed. The closed facilities include the press room, the party leaders' conference room, the main building of the National Assembly and the Members' Hall. Meetings that were scheduled to take place in the main building of the National Assembly will be inevitably either cancelled or postponed. The time of the parliament's re-opening will be discussed with quarantine authorities after disinfection operations.