Ahn Cheol-soo: "Government Response to 'Novel Coronavirus' Disappointing... Considering Measures Like Full Investigation and Quarantine"

Former lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo held an expert panel discussion on responding to the novel coronavirus on the afternoon of the 3rd through his YouTube channel. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] Former lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo, who is preparing to launch a new political party tentatively named 'Ahn Cheol-soo's New Party,' stated on the 3rd regarding the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia), "I ask that proposals such as conducting thorough investigations of all domestic and foreign individuals who have visited China, temporarily isolating those with symptoms, and releasing them if no issues arise be considered."

On the same day, Ahn said in a video titled 'Expert Roundtable on Responding to the Novel Coronavirus' uploaded to his YouTube channel, "So far, various government policies have seemed to lag behind," expressing this view.

The roundtable included Jeon Byung-yul, former director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Choi Jae-wook, chairman of the Scientific Verification Committee of the Korean Medical Association. Chairman Choi emphasized, "Since the Chinese government has already sealed off the Wuhan (武漢) area, restricting entry from Hubei (湖北) Province is ineffective," adding, "The key point is to block entry from all over China."

He continued, "They say 'isolate contacts,' but the problem is that guidelines on what constitutes contact have not been shared," and criticized, "The movement paths of confirmed cases should be disclosed in more detail."

Former lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo is announcing plans to launch a new party at a political innovation journalists' meeting held on the morning of the 2nd at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Ahn said, "Modern society is a risk society. Many dangers lurk everywhere," adding, "At times like this, I believe the most important task of the state is to protect the lives and safety of its citizens. Isn't that the very meaning of a nation's existence?"

He also criticized, "It is regrettable that under the recognition that protecting the lives and property of citizens is the state's responsibility, the response has not been more proactive."

Furthermore, Ahn stated, "If the Chinese economy is affected, the country most impacted will be the Republic of Korea. Even if our country's damage is minimized, China has already suffered a significant blow, and the situation could worsen," adding, "The government must comprehensively prepare not only quarantine systems but also measures and plans to minimize the economic impact on our country."

Finally, he said, "The direction pursued by the new party we are forming is an 'Issuecracy' party where many people gather to share information and jointly devise countermeasures on socially important issues to overcome crises," and pledged, "We will do our best to properly demonstrate such an image."

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