Assemblyman Kim Kyung-jin, "Government Must Actively Lead Wuhan Pneumonia Prevention and Quarantine"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Assemblyman Kim Kyung-jin (Buk-gu Gap, Gwangju Metropolitan City) has urged the government to intensify efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (Wuhan pneumonia).

He also requested quarantine support for Koreans residing in China.

Assemblyman Kim explained, “The novel coronavirus infection that began in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, at the end of last year is rapidly spreading to countries around the world,” adding, “The number of deaths in China has reached about 80, and confirmed cases have exceeded 2,700.”

He continued, “In South Korea, confirmed cases have occurred consecutively, and as of the 27th, four people have been confirmed positive. However, it is estimated that more than 6,000 travelers entered South Korea from Wuhan between December 30 last year and the 22nd, just before Wuhan was locked down, making it difficult to predict the future spread of the infection.”

He pointed out that the government's initial quarantine system is not functioning properly.

Assemblyman Kim said, “Both the third and fourth confirmed patients passed through airport quarantine without issue upon entering South Korea. The third confirmed patient was found to have contacted 74 people over seven days in Gangnam, along the Han River, and Ilsan before voluntarily reporting. In the case of the fourth confirmed patient, early detection failed at a domestic medical institution visited for cold symptoms, resulting in a failure to contain the infection during the five days before a follow-up visit. As the situation worsened, the government only established the Central Accident Response Headquarters at the Ministry of Health and Welfare on the 27th, when the fourth confirmed patient was identified.”

Assemblyman Kim Kyung-jin emphasized, “The occurrence of the third and fourth confirmed patients revealed gaps in the quarantine system. It is now time to shift from passive to proactive quarantine measures. Not only must there be responses to patients with suspected symptoms, but the government, medical community, and the entire nation must cooperate and make efforts in epidemiological investigations to prevent further spread of the infection.”

He also urged the government to protect the health and safety of Korean residents and corporate expatriates in China.

He added, “Due to the rapid spread of Wuhan pneumonia, medical staff, masks, and medicines are generally in short supply in China, threatening the lives of our compatriots and corporate expatriates there. It is necessary to promptly dispatch domestic medical personnel and officials from related government departments to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in China and key consulates to closely monitor the situation in China and the status of Korean companies and communities, and to ensure there are no disruptions in the supply of masks and medicines.”

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