6 More COVID-19 Cases Confirmed Among Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Staff...Concerns Over Administrative Disruption in Sejong

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

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] On the 12th, additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 were identified at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. As the spread of COVID-19 continues in the Sejong government district, concerns over disruptions to administrative work are growing.

According to Sejong City, six employees of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries tested positive on this day alone. Additionally, a woman in her 40s working at the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs was confirmed as a new case.

As a result, the total number of infected government Sejong Complex employees has risen to 15, including 11 from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, one from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, one from the Ministry of Personnel Management, and one from the Presidential Archives of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. The total confirmed cases in Sejong City reached 24.

Sejong had been experiencing a period without new confirmed cases, creating a sense of relief, but the situation changed rapidly after the past weekend. For the first time in the complex, following an employee from the Ministry of Personnel Management, employees from the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Welfare were infected, leading to the feared situation of confirmed cases occurring within the government 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 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 individuals who underwent retesting yesterday were confirmed positive," and added, "All employees in the departments related to the confirmed cases have been instructed to work from home." To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the press room used by 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' critical facility, the highest level of importance for 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 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.

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