Two Officials from Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Test Positive for COVID-19... 'Sejong Government Offices on Alert'

On the morning of the 11th, quarantine officials are disinfecting at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in the Government Sejong Complex.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Kwangho Lee and Sangdon Joo] On the 12th, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs confirmed 2 additional cases of COVID-19. As the spread of COVID-19 continues in Sejong government offices, concerns about disruptions to administrative work are growing.

According to Sejong City on the same day, a woman in her 40s working at the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and a man in his 50s working at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries tested positive for COVID-19.

As a result, the number of infected employees at the Government Sejong Complex has increased to a total of 10, including 5 from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, 1 from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 1 from the Ministry of Personnel Management, 1 from the Presidential Archives of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, 1 from the Ministry of Education, and 1 from the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.

Sejong had been in a relieved atmosphere as no additional cases were reported for some time, but the mood changed rapidly after the past weekend. For the first time in the complex, after an employee from the Ministry of Personnel Management was infected, employees from the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Welfare also tested positive, causing the feared situation of confirmed cases occurring within the complex. Although quarantine management was strengthened, on the 10th, employees from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Presidential Archives tested positive, and additional cases have continued to emerge, increasing tension among Sejong Complex government officials.

In particular, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has reported confirmed cases for three consecutive days. Previously, the ministry closed part of Building 5-1 of the complex where the infected employee worked and conducted disinfection. A ministry official stated, "All employees in the departments related to the confirmed cases have been instructed to work from home," adding, "There are about 500 employees in the headquarters, and all will undergo medical examination and testing." To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the press rooms for reporters covering the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will be closed until this weekend.

The problem is that the possibility of additional confirmed cases cannot be ruled out. The Sejong government complex is classified as a 'Grade A' important facility, the highest level of importance affecting national security. Currently, 35 institutions, including 20 central government ministries such as the Office for Government Policy Coordination, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as well as 15 affiliated agencies, are housed there. The total number of employees and regular visitors is estimated to be around 20,000. Although the connecting corridors between ministries have recently been closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, located next to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, remain on high alert.

Meanwhile, as of 9 a.m. on the same day, the total number of COVID-19 confirmed cases in Sejong City has risen to 19, including 10 government complex employees.

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