Jeonbuk Province Extends Administrative Order Mandating COVID-19 Testing

309 Tested at Sarangjeil Church and Gwangbokjeol Rally

Kim Yang-won, Director of the Provincial Safety Office, is briefing on the follow-up measures related to the administrative order for participants of the Liberation Day rally. Photo by Jeonbuk Province

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hong Jae-hee] Jeonbuk Province has decided to extend the administrative order mandating COVID-19 testing for participants of Sarang Jeil Church and the Liberation Day rally.

According to Jeonbuk Province on the 20th, a total of 309 participants from Sarang Jeil Church worship services in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul (August 7?13) and the Liberation Day rally (August 15) have been recorded within the province.

Following the administrative order, the province conducted COVID-19 diagnostic tests on 309 individuals, including 36 from Sarang Jeil Church and 273 from the Liberation Day rally. Among them, 4 tested positive, 282 tested negative, and 23 are still undergoing testing.

Additionally, the total number of self-quarantined individuals, including contacts of confirmed cases, has reached 727 (an increase of 49 from the previous day).

However, concerns about the spread of infection within the region and growing public anxiety have arisen as some rally participants have been uncooperative in complying with testing and submitting participant lists.

There have also been cases where individuals falsely reported their participation or non-participation in the Liberation Day rally, causing confusion in epidemiological investigations.

Considering these circumstances, the province has decided to extend the administrative order issued on the 17th for Sarang Jeil Church and participants of the August 15 metropolitan area rally for an additional four days until the 23rd.

Starting from the 24th, if related individuals fail to comply with testing and later test positive, the province plans to take strong measures including claiming full medical expenses and imposing penalties such as imprisonment for up to two years or fines up to 20 million KRW.

Governor Song Ha-jin emphasized, “Given the continuous daily increase of COVID-19 cases in the region and the seriousness of the situation, it is essential to minimize outdoor activities over the weekend.” He urged, “Please refrain from religious gatherings such as retreats, promote non-face-to-face worship services, avoid travel to and from the metropolitan area, and limit inviting relatives to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community.”

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