President Moon orders 'complete screening' of entrants from Wuhan, China... "Full transparency of all information" (Comprehensive)

Government to Hold Emergency Situation Meeting Chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki on 28th... Ministry Work Reports Postponed to 30th

President Moon Jae-in [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] President Moon Jae-in on the 27th instructed to conduct a thorough investigation of all entrants from Wuhan, China, the origin of the novel coronavirus infection.

Yoon Do-han, Senior Secretary for Public Communication at the Blue House, held a briefing at the press center in the afternoon and conveyed that during a luncheon with senior secretaries at the Blue House, President Moon said, "To prepare for worsening through secondary infections, proactive measures must be taken," and gave such instructions.

Furthermore, President Moon urged, "Please devote all efforts to preventing the spread of the infection," and requested, "Disclose all information transparently and continuously inform the public of the situation to prevent further spread." He also instructed, "If necessary, deploy military medical personnel and utilize military facilities for preparedness," and added, "Closely monitor and thoroughly inspect the impact on the economy."

In response, the government plans to hold an emergency economic ministers' meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki on the first working day after the Lunar New Year holiday, the 28th. It is expected to assess the impact of this situation on the domestic economy.

Senior Secretary Yoon added, "To devote all efforts to preventing the spread of the infection, the social sector ministry work report scheduled for this Thursday has been postponed."

Regarding the government's consideration of dispatching a chartered flight for Korean residents in the Wuhan area, a senior Blue House official said, "The Prime Minister's Office is holding meetings and will announce related details."

With a petition to ban entry of Chinese nationals gaining over 450,000 signatures on the Blue House's public petition site, the senior official responded indirectly, "I understand that the World Health Organization (WHO) discussed this issue and did not take 'travel ban measures,'" adding, "At this stage, there will be no situation deviating from WHO's decisions." However, he added, "We are closely monitoring the overall situation."

Meanwhile, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of this date, the fourth confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection has occurred domestically. The government has raised the infectious disease crisis alert level from 'caution' to 'warning.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.