Daegu District Court Fines 3 Million Won to Person Spreading False Information About 'Confirmed Patient Visit'

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Dong-wook] The Daegu District Court Criminal Division 1 (Presiding Judge Lee Ho-cheol) announced on the 7th that it sentenced A (49) and B (53), who were indicted for obstructing business by spreading false information that a business was visited by a confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), to fines of 3 million won each.

A sent a false message via SNS messenger to his coworker B on February 19, the day after the first confirmed COVID-19 case occurred in Daegu on February 18, stating, "A confirmed case visited the local bathhouse in our neighborhood, so it was closed." B then posted this information in a group chat, and both were prosecuted for this act.

In the judgment, the judge explained the sentencing reason, saying, "Although they reached a settlement with the affected bathhouse, spreading false information without verifying its truthfulness based solely on hearsay from people around them is a serious wrongdoing regardless of motive."

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