Jin Jeong-seok: "Attacking Specific Religious Groups Does Not Help 'Prevent the Spread of COVID-19'"

"People Who Are Pressured to Get Tested... Tend to Withdraw Physically"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] On the 17th, Jeong Jin-seok, a member of the Future United Party, stated, "I am worried about the spread of COVID-19 in the metropolitan area. Amid this, voices attacking specific churches and certain religious groups are growing louder," adding, "As seen in the cases of COVID-19 spread centered around the Shincheonji Church and Itaewon clubs, attacks on specific groups did not help 'prevent the spread of COVID-19.' The low-key approach of health authorities was actually more helpful."

On the same day, Jeong said on Facebook, "When the President, the Prime Minister, and the ruling party's next-generation leaders get angry and scold, those who need to get tested tend to shrink back," and asked, "Would they willingly find the courage to get tested?"

Jeong emphasized, "I understand the government's impatience and concern. Even so, I doubt whether such angry voices truly help prevent the spread of COVID-19," and added, "As has been the case so far, leaving it to the professional response and prescriptions of the quarantine authorities might be a better approach."

Jeong said, "All Americans and foreigners arriving at New York's Kennedy Airport must undergo a '2-week self-quarantine.' The only difference between the U.S. and Korea is one thing," explaining, "The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues recommendations rather than mandates, whereas we enforce them."

Jeong stated, "The U.S. is a country where it is hard to imagine federal and local government administrative powers deeply invading individuals' privacy. We enforce '2-week self-quarantine' by using cellphone location tracking functions," and added, "Since the 1990s, U.S. intelligence agencies have thoroughly monitored emails and phone call records worldwide. Their ability to track the location of self-quarantine subjects is probably greater than ours."

Jeong said, "However, in the U.S., there has not yet been a proposal to 'manage COVID-19 self-quarantined individuals using communication devices,'" and concluded, "'K-quarantine success' was possible above all because the majority of our citizens quietly accepted the control of the quarantine authorities."

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