National Assembly Questioning, Both Ruling and Opposition Criticize Government's COVID Response... Government Also Admits 'Limitations in Quarantine Measures' (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Ji-eun and Won Dara] During the government questioning session held at the National Assembly plenary session on the 2nd, lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties fiercely criticized the government's response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Minister of the Interior and Safety Jin Young acknowledged mistakes, stating, "There were limitations in quarantine measures," while Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae responded that the initial response gained trust.

On this day, Joo Ho-young, a lawmaker from the United Future Party, raised his voice of criticism during the government questioning, saying, "South Korea is facing a national crisis due to the spread of COVID-19, and the government's complacent judgment and incompetent arrogance were decisive causes for the situation worsening to this extent." He emphasized, "The government responded belatedly only after the virus spread widely, and citizens had to line up for a long time without receiving even the common masks in time," adding, "They still have not blocked entry from China, causing public outrage."

Park Ji-won, a lawmaker from the Minsheng Party, also pointed out, "Even I, who am relatively cooperative with the Moon Jae-in administration, have been saying that at least entry and exit from China should be blocked," and criticized, "Our citizens say, 'Isn't the Moon government excessively considering China's stance?' and 'It's not people first but China first.' Please handle this well so that such comments are not made."

Even Kim Boo-kyum, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said, "The most regrettable thing is the criticism that they couldn't even prepare a single mask," and asked Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, "South Korea is quarantining Korean entrants from China for two weeks; can't the two countries discuss restricting movement mutually for two weeks?" When Minister Kang responded that it would be difficult, he pointed out, "The public might find this unsatisfactory."

In response, Minister Jin said, "(Regarding the cause of the spread of COVID-19) experts have not yet reached a precise conclusion on how it spread and how much it will spread in the future," and apologized, saying, "The government has tried various methods to block inflow and contact with confirmed cases, but I acknowledge there were limitations in quarantine."

Minister Kang also responded to criticism of the initial response, saying, "As the Foreign Minister and a member of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, I clearly feel responsibility for the government's part," and explained, "At the time of judgment, there was a belief that quarantine capabilities were solid, and the rapid spread was mainly in Wuhan, Hubei, and not spreading elsewhere."

On the other hand, Minister Chu emphasized, "The initial response to the COVID-19 situation gained much trust from the international community." In response to questions from lawmaker Joo during the government questioning on the 2nd, Minister Chu said, "Before regional spread occurred, the international community evaluated Korea's measures so far as very good, and the entry process measures were quite objective and effective."

When lawmaker Joo asked whether ignoring experts' advice and not banning Chinese entry was a political decision, Minister Chu replied, "My point was that from February 4th, measures were taken regarding Hubei Province, and entry restrictions were imposed on passports issued by Hubei Province, China, and the step-by-step measures taken were objectively evaluated positively externally."

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