Chungnam Governor Yang Seung-jo: "Wuhan Evacuees Transferred to Asan... Please Join Government Policy"

The National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee held a government audit of Chungnam Province at the Chungnam Provincial Office in Hongseong, Chungnam, on October 15 last year. Yang Seung-jo, Governor of Chungnam Province, who attended the government audit, is reporting on the work.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] The government announced that it will quarantine and accommodate Korean nationals from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia), at public official training facilities in Asan, Chungnam, and Jincheon, Chungbuk. In response, Yang Seung-jo, Governor of Chungnam Province, urged the residents, saying, "Please trust the Chungnam provincial government and actively participate in the government's policy."

On the 29th, Governor Yang wrote on his Facebook, "I would like to ask for the understanding and cooperation of the residents."

He explained, "I believe this decision is a measure that must be taken by the state, which has the duty to protect its citizens. The temporary living facilities for the nationals staying in Wuhan have been prepared in our Chungcheongnam-do, and they are designated and operated by the Minister of Health and Welfare according to the Quarantine Act and the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act."

He added, "Nevertheless, as the governor, I cannot help but feel sorry to the citizens of Asan who must bear the sacrifice in the face of the national disaster. It is our rightful duty, as the Chungnam provincial government and myself, to prioritize the safety of the residents as much as the safety of the nation."

However, he said, "Chungcheongnam-do believes that the central and local governments cannot be separate in the face of a national crisis. The nationals who will enter the temporary living facilities show no symptoms at all."

He continued, "Suspected cases will board a separate chartered plane after the first medical examination by medical staff in China. After returning to Korea, symptomatic individuals will be immediately transferred to medical facilities with negative pressure rooms through a second examination. The nationals accommodated in the region will be completely isolated, with no outings or visits allowed. The government is firmly determined to block transmission and infection at the source."

Governor Yang said, "Although concerns and worries are great, we must trust the government and quarantine authorities in the face of a national crisis and unite with a bigger heart. I earnestly ask for your active participation in the government's decision."

Earlier, Governor Yang held a press conference at the provincial government briefing room and explained that the claim that "they initially planned to accommodate at Cheonan Ujeong Public Official Training Center and the National Central Youth Training Center but changed the plan to Asan and Jincheon due to residents' opposition" is not true.

He stated, "For the selection of the temporary living facility in Asan, the government investigated five criteria including accommodation scale, medical facilities with national quarantine beds, and accessibility. This place was selected because it received high scores in the evaluation, not because of opposition from Cheonan residents."

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