A Man in His 20s Arrested for Unauthorized Outing During Self-Quarantine, Saying "Stuck at Home Feels Frustrating"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] A man in his 20s who traveled on public transportation during his self-quarantine period for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has been booked by the police.

The Nowon Police Station in Seoul announced on the 7th that they have booked a man in his 20s, identified as Mr. A, on charges of violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act and are currently investigating.

Mr. A, who entered the country from a Southeast Asian country earlier this month, was ordered by health authorities to self-quarantine for 14 days but is suspected of going out without permission on the 6th. It was reported that Mr. A stated, "I was frustrated staying at home and went out to get some fresh air," and investigations revealed that he also traveled by subway.

When the health center lost contact with Mr. A, they reported it to the police at around 1:20 PM on the 6th, and the police found Mr. A near his residence about an hour after tracking his location.

A police official said, "Since the violation of self-quarantine was confirmed, we immediately booked him and started an investigation without waiting for a complaint from the health authorities."

According to the police, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has investigated 10 people who left self-quarantine without permission so far, and among them, three who have completed their investigations were sent to prosecution with a recommendation for indictment.

Meanwhile, starting from the 5th, the punishment provisions under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act for violating self-quarantine measures have been strengthened from a "fine of up to 3 million won" to "imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million won."

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