Yeo Welfare Committee Secretary Kim Seong-ju: "No Extraterritorial Privilege"... Proposes 'Jeon Gwang-hoon Punishment Act'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] On the 20th, Kim Seong-ju, a member of the ruling Democratic Party and the secretary of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, proposed a partial amendment to the Infectious Disease Prevention Act that strengthens penalties for violations of quarantine guidelines and specifies the basis for claiming damages. Regarding the bill, known as the so-called ‘Jeon Gwang-hoon Punishment Act,’ Kim pointed out, “Deliberately and maliciously violating infectious disease quarantine measures and refusing testing is an antisocial act that drives the public to COVID-19 infection.”

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In an interview with CBS Radio’s ‘Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show’ on the morning of the 21st, Kim said, “The Sarang Jeil Church and the August 15 Gwanghwamun rally are undermining the national quarantine system.”

He stated, “Testing must not be refused for political or religious reasons. There is no extraterritoriality,” and added, “It has already been proven that the most effective way to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is rapid testing, isolation, and blocking.”

Regarding the bill, Kim explained, “The key point is to establish the right to claim damages and grounds for aggravated punishment,” and said, “If the spread occurs due to gross negligence by a third party, there will be costs involved. We are creating a basis for the government and local governments to claim damages, and if a specific group refuses or obstructs epidemiological investigations or deliberately conceals information, they will be subject to aggravated punishment.”

According to the bill, the level of punishment is expected to be strengthened by about 1.5 times compared to current regulations. Kim urged cooperation, saying, “The cooperation of the opposition party, the United Future Party, is essential for the passage of this bill.”

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