First Imprisonment for Self-Quarantine Violators (Comprehensive)

Court Sentences 20s Male to 4 Months Imprisonment Under Revised Infectious Disease Control Act... Likely to Set Precedent for Subsequent Trials

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] A man in his 20s was sentenced to prison for violating self-quarantine measures related to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). This is the first court ruling on a self-quarantine violation case. This ruling is expected to serve as a precedent for the series of upcoming trials involving self-quarantine violations.

On the 26th, Judge Jeong Eun-young of the Criminal Division 9 at Uijeongbu District Court sentenced Kim (27), who was indicted for violating the "Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act (Infectious Disease Prevention Act)," to four months in prison.

The sentence applied the revised Infectious Disease Prevention Act for the first time, which was amended last month. On the 5th of last month, the government revised the law, increasing the penalty for violating self-quarantine from the previous "a fine of 3 million won" to "imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of 10 million won." The court reflected the seriousness of the case by imposing a prison sentence higher than the previous fine but lower than the maximum one-year imprisonment.

Judge Jeong stated, "Although the defendant has no prior criminal record, the crime period was long and the offense was repeated, indicating poor criminal nature. At that time, the COVID-19 situation caused confusion domestically and internationally, and especially the situation in Uijeongbu, where the offense occurred, was severe. Therefore, strict punishment is necessary."

Earlier, Kim was classified as a self-quarantine subject after a COVID-19 cluster infection occurred at Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital, where he was hospitalized, in early last month. He complied with the quarantine measures at his home in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, but on the 14th of last month, two days before the quarantine was to be lifted, he left his home without permission and went missing. Police tracking Kim detected a signal from his briefly turned-on mobile phone two days later and apprehended him. Kim stated during the police investigation, "I felt frustrated and stressed due to the long self-quarantine."

The police and Uijeongbu City quarantined Kim at a temporary protection facility in Yangju and conducted a COVID-19 test, which came back negative. However, Kim again left the quarantine facility without permission and was caught in a nearby mountain an hour later. The prosecution, having received the case from the police, arrested and indicted Kim on the 27th of last month for violating the Infectious Disease Prevention Act.

This ruling is expected to be a benchmark for other upcoming trials involving self-quarantine violations. According to data compiled by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, as of the 22nd, 73 cases have been forwarded to trial for violating self-quarantine and obstructing epidemiological investigations by quarantine authorities, with sentencing pending. The first person to be arrested among self-quarantine violators, A (68), is scheduled to be sentenced on the 16th of next month at the Seoul Eastern District Court. A was indicted for violating self-quarantine measures by visiting saunas and restaurants for two days after entering the country from the United States on the 14th of last month. The prosecution has requested a six-month prison sentence for A.

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