Call Center and Overseas Influx Cluster Infections... Concerns Over a 'Second Shincheonji'

A COVID-19 cluster infection occurred at a call center on the 11th floor of the Korea Building in Sindorim-dong. On the 10th, quarantine officials from Guro-gu operated a screening clinic for residents in front of the Korea Building in Guro-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporters Choi Dae-yeol and Kim Heung-soon] As the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) related to a call center in Sindorim-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul surged, the daily additional cases nationwide returned to an upward trend on the 11th. The total number rose by 242 within 24 hours from 7,513 as of midnight on the 10th to 7,755. After continuously decreasing since the 6th, the daily additional confirmed cases had dropped to 131 the previous day but increased again after five days.

Recently discovered cluster infection cases at call centers, hospitals, PC rooms, and private academies have emerged as new vulnerable points for COVID-19. These places, where multiple people gather in confined spaces for work, treatment, or hobbies, share the common difficulty of implementing social distancing measures such as mask-wearing, business closures, or remote work. In Busan, a man in his 20s who entered from Italy was confirmed positive, raising concerns about additional virus inflow from epidemic countries. There is a risk of virus spread not only among the families and acquaintances of these confirmed patients but also to unspecified many, prompting health authorities to be on high alert against a possible 'second Shincheonji Church of Jesus' incident.

Call Centers and Shincheonji: Similar Yet Different
Hundreds Crowded in Small Spaces, Inadequate Mask Wearing and Social Distancing
Forced Measures Like Business Closures Difficult Unlike Worship and Meeting Bans

According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters and Seoul city, as of midnight on this day, 90 confirmed cases related to the Guro-gu call center, including employees and their families, were reported. The number increased by 40 within 12 hours from 50 as of noon on the 9th. Among them, 62 are residents of Seoul, 15 of Incheon, and 13 of Gyeonggi Province, all within the metropolitan area. In Daegu, five Samsung Electronics call center employees were also confirmed positive on the same day, indicating a trend of cluster infections related to call centers.

According to the related industry, there are 745 call centers operating nationwide. Hundreds of workers closely engage in telephone consultations, and hygiene rules such as mask-wearing are poorly observed, creating an environment where many are easily exposed to the virus. This is similar to Shincheonji, where hundreds of believers gather in a confined space for worship with vocal interactions. Both call centers and Shincheonji share the characteristic of rapid cluster outbreaks in situations where the initial infection route is difficult to identify. However, in the case of Shincheonji-related cluster infections, health authorities and local governments secured the entire list of believers and closed related facilities to respond to the spread, whereas for call centers, concerns about personal information leaks and customer inconvenience make it difficult to enforce remote work or business suspension for all employees.

Kwon Jun-wook, deputy head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, said, "Given the building structure and work type, it is understandable that social distancing is difficult at call centers," and urged, "If there is even a slight suspicion of symptoms, please wear a mask to prevent transmission or refrain from going to work and monitor the situation for a few days." Separately, health authorities plan to conduct epidemiological investigations to determine whether there is any connection between the call center cluster infections and Shincheonji Church of Jesus believers. Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon said in a radio interview that "two Shincheonji members were confirmed to be at the (Guro-gu) call center, but they have tested negative so far," adding, "Further investigation is needed."

Increase in Patients from Western Europe
Man in His 20s Returning from Italy Confirmed in Busan
Calls for Strengthened Quarantine to Block Overseas Inflow

As the number of patients increases worldwide, including Western Europe centered on Italy, Iran, and Israel, calls for strengthening quarantine to block overseas inflow have resurfaced. A 24-year-old man residing in Busan who arrived from Italy on the 4th was confirmed positive on the afternoon of the 10th, with a possibility of infection abroad. In Seoul, six of the newly confirmed patients in the past two weeks were confirmed to have traveled to Italy, Germany, Spain, or France. The city estimates these infections resulted from overseas contact.

Although quarantine procedures have been strengthened since the COVID-19 outbreak, quarantine is still conducted at a general level except for some countries like China, raising concerns about limitations in blocking virus inflow from abroad. Currently, the Korean government bans entry of foreigners who have visited Hubei Province, China, and applies special entry procedures requiring health questionnaires for those entering from other parts of China, Macau, and Hong Kong. Professor Kim Woo-joo of the Infectious Diseases Department at Korea University Guro Hospital said, "There is a considerable possibility that COVID-19 could be introduced from countries other than China."

However, the government currently judges that it is unlikely to implement strict measures like those applied to Hubei Province. Deputy Head Kwon said, "Considering the global situation, we cannot be assured that overseas inflow is not occurring," but added, "Even if the possibility of domestic inflow from abroad increases, rather than completely blocking entry, we are considering responding with advanced quarantine measures such as special entry management using self-diagnosis applications after entry."

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