Lee Jae-myung: "I Accept All Criticism That General Business Gathering Restriction Orders Are Excessive and Take Responsibility" (Update)

Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung is announcing the results of the two-week assembly ban on the Bucheon Coupang Fresh Logistics Center (Factory No. 2), where multiple confirmed cases of COVID-19 occurred, at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government briefing room on the afternoon of the 28th. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Seul-gi] Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "I will take responsibility and endure criticism regarding the assembly restriction orders for general workplaces such as logistics centers."

On the 1st, Lee posted on his Facebook, saying, "If quarantine rules are not followed, all members of the community could be put at risk."

He pointed out, "Until now, quarantine rules for businesses were merely recommendations, so if they were not followed, there were no consequences. Since businesses aim for profit, there have been cases where quarantine rules were violated to gain benefits."

He added, "There was much deliberation on whether to apply the restrictions to all workplaces or only some. There could be criticism that this is an excessive restriction on business activities," and emphasized, "However, there is no value more important than the safety of the community and the lives of its members, and protecting this is both the authority and duty granted to me by the residents."

He continued, "Authority comes with responsibility, and responsibility includes criticism. I have willingly accepted criticism and judged that choosing overreaction rather than delayed response is the right decision," adding, "If the COVID-19 situation were a math problem, there would be a correct answer, but unfortunately, that is not the case."

Lee stated, "Faced with a choice without a correct answer, I chose the safety of all citizens over the freedom of individual business activities," and reiterated, "I will take full responsibility. I will do my best to stabilize the COVID-19 situation as soon as possible."

Earlier, Gyeonggi Province issued an administrative order restricting gatherings from 3 p.m. on the same day until midnight on the 14th for industries and multi-use facilities vulnerable to safety management, such as logistics warehouses, call centers, funeral halls, and wedding halls.

The order targets 1,586 locations, including 1,219 logistics facilities such as logistics warehouses, transportation courier logistics facilities, and collection centers, 61 call centers, 177 funeral halls, and 129 wedding halls within the province.

Meanwhile, as of midnight on the same day, there were 12 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Gyeonggi Province: 1 related to the Bucheon Coupang logistics center, 10 from community transmission, and 1 imported case. Among the 10 community cases, 8 are related to a pastors' meeting in Anyang and Gunpo, 1 is related to the Gwangju Happy Nursing Home, and 1 is under epidemiological investigation with an unknown cause.

The total number of confirmed cases related to the Bucheon Coupang logistics center reached 112 as of midnight on the same day (50 in Gyeonggi, 43 in Incheon, and 19 in Seoul).

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