Cluster Infection Originating from Itaewon Clubs Spreads to Karaoke Rooms... Critical Quarantine Moment This Weekend

Club Visitor - First Symptomatic Case at Hongdae Pub, Used Gwanak-gu Karaoke
Transmission Suspected via 'Gongjo System' at Dobong-gu Karaoke

On the 14th, as the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) related to Itaewon clubs increases, citizens and foreigners are lining up to get tested for COVID-19 at the screening clinic of Yongsan-gu Public Health Center in Seoul. Photo by Mo Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] It has been revealed that the cluster infection of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that started at clubs in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, rapidly spread through karaoke rooms.

On the 15th, Na Baek-ju, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Citizen Health Bureau, stated at the regular COVID-19 briefing, "We have identified that the five confirmed cases from a pub near Hongdae are linked to the confirmed cases who visited the Itaewon clubs."

Until now, the quarantine authorities had been tracking the five confirmed cases from a group at a pub in front of Hongdae in Mapo-gu separately from the Itaewon club-related cases, as epidemiological investigations showed that these five individuals had no history of visiting Itaewon or overseas.

However, it was recently confirmed that patient number 10827 nationwide (Gwanak 46), who tested positive on the 8th after visiting an Itaewon club, used a karaoke room located in Gwanak-gu, and the first symptomatic patient among the Hongdae pub confirmed cases used the same karaoke room at the same time on the same day.

The first symptomatic patient among the Hongdae pub confirmed cases is patient number 31 from Gangseo-gu, Seoul. It was found that he used the same karaoke room as patient Gwanak 46, who visited Itaewon, with only a three-minute interval.

Accordingly, the quarantine authorities classified patient Gangseo 31 as a secondary infection from Itaewon, and four others who visited the Hongdae pub on the 7th together with him?Incheon Seo-gu patient 14, Suwon-si patient 54, Goyang-si patient 42, and Gimpo-si patient 17?as tertiary infections.

The route of the tertiary infections related to Itaewon that appeared in Dobong-gu, Seoul, is also a karaoke room. The confirmed cases at Dobong-gu's "Gawang Coin Karaoke Practice Room" were neither part of the same group nor used the same room, but since the air conditioning systems of the karaoke rooms are interconnected, it is presumed to be the transmission route.

At this karaoke room, patient Gwanak 46, who visited the Itaewon club, and Dobong 10, who was confirmed positive after close contact with Gwanak 46, had been present. Subsequently, two more visitors to this karaoke room (Dobong 12 and 13) were additionally confirmed positive.

Director Na explained, "In the case of the Dobong-gu karaoke room, although the confirmed patients used different rooms, the rooms shared the same air conditioning system for ventilation."

Besides the karaoke room where Gangseo 31 came into contact with patient Gwanak 46, there are two more karaoke rooms in the movement path of patient Gwanak 46, who can be considered the starting point of infections at the Hongdae pub and Dobong-gu karaoke room. Accordingly, the authorities are focusing on identifying contacts at karaoke rooms.

Director Na urged, "The cluster infection originating from clubs in Yongsan-gu is now showing secondary and tertiary infections in the community. As this weekend is seen as a critical turning point, we ask citizens to refrain from visiting indoor enclosed facilities where close contact occurs, such as entertainment venues, karaoke rooms, and PC rooms."

Seoul City is also repeatedly recommending that visitors to Itaewon clubs and nearby areas get tested for COVID-19.

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