"Intentional Quarantine Violation Overseas Entrants to be Detained and Investigated"... Directive to Local Prosecutors' Offices

Seoul Seocho-dong Supreme Prosecutors' Office Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The prosecution has taken a strong stance by establishing a principle of detention and investigation for overseas entrants who refuse to comply with the government's self-quarantine measures and other strengthened quarantine management policies.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced on the 1st that it has instructed local prosecutors' offices to detain and investigate overseas entrants under charges such as 'violation of the Quarantine Act' if they continuously or intentionally refuse quarantine measures, thereby causing obstruction to the government's quarantine policies by spreading infectious diseases.

Additionally, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office has ordered strict responses, including referring other quarantine violations to formal trials in principle.

Earlier, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters implemented strengthened quarantine management measures from 0:00 on the same day, requiring all overseas entrants from all countries to be quarantined for 14 days after entry in principle to block infection factors coming from abroad.

Article 39, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 4 of the Quarantine Act stipulates that those who do not comply with quarantine measures shall be punished by imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million won.

Currently, domestic citizens or foreign residents in Korea who violate quarantine measures are punished with a fine of up to 3 million won, but from the 5th, when the revised Infectious Disease Prevention Act takes effect, they will be subject to imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million won.

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