Ruling and Opposition Parties' Urgent Inquiry on 'Novel Coronavirus'... Criticism of Inadequate Response to Evacuation of Wuhan Residents

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Hyemin and Jeon Jinyoung] On the 30th, the ruling and opposition parties engaged in an urgent inquiry regarding the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan Pneumonia).

At the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee plenary meeting held at 10 a.m. that day, lawmakers from both parties received a briefing on the novel coronavirus situation from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the responsible ministry, and reviewed the government's response measures. The meeting was attended by Kim Kang-lip, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, along with officials from the quarantine authorities. Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-hoo and Director Jung Eun-kyung of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were absent to focus on on-site response.

Before the main inquiry began, some lawmakers debated the appropriateness of holding the meeting that day. There were concerns that personnel who should be on-site were being held back at the National Assembly. Jang Jeong-sook, a member of the Alternative New Party, criticized, "I am concerned whether it is appropriate to call officials during the golden time of the early spread to receive reports."

Other lawmakers countered that the meeting was intended to provide accurate information to the public, while agreeing on the need for swift proceedings. Kim Soon-rye of the Liberty Korea Party said, "Sharing accurate information with the public will greatly help to calm anxious sentiments." Ki Dong-min of the Democratic Party of Korea also said, "(Due to such concerns) the number of working-level staff was minimized," and emphasized, "I request a prompt proceeding so that anxiety can be resolved."

Lawmakers criticized the government’s inadequate response during the process of transporting Korean residents living in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, back to Korea. Oh Je-se of the Democratic Party said, "I express regret over changing the reception location without prior consultation with the region," and pointed out, "There are issues raised that the location was set in an area without hospital facilities and densely populated with children and schools; the residents should have been properly persuaded."

Kim Seung-hee of the Liberty Korea Party also criticized, "In Jincheon, there are kindergartens, elementary, middle, and high school facilities lined up nearby, and many elderly people live in this rural area, making it vulnerable to disease. Why was this area chosen?"

In response, Vice Minister Kim said, "We apologize for causing confusion by having the location disclosed to the media before the final reception site was confirmed, making it seem like the location was changed," and added, "Due to time constraints, we were negligent in obtaining prior consent from local governments and residents. We will do our best to gain understanding from the relevant areas going forward."

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Kwang-soo expressed concern about the spread of secondary infections and pointed out that quarantine facilities were not properly equipped. He criticized, "It was announced that specialized infectious disease hospitals would be established by region, but progress has not even started," and urged that concrete measures be prepared from now on. Vice Minister Kim responded, "Facilities to isolate infected patients have been secured at each stage, and additional plans have been established," and said, "We will prepare to propose legislation for specialized infectious disease hospitals."

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