Jeonbuk Province Files Complaints Against 36 Participants of Gwanghwamun Rally Refusing or Evading Testing

List of 288 Participants in the Province Secured Including Mobile Carriers and Group Leaders' Seizures

O Taek-rim, Director of the Welfare, Women and Health Bureau. Photo by Jeonbuk Province

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hong Jae-hee] Jeonbuk Province is taking a tough stance against participants of the August 15 Gwanghwamun rally who refuse or fail to comply with COVID-19 testing to prevent the resurgence of the virus.

According to the province on the 25th, while making all-out efforts such as issuing administrative orders to identify and test participants of the August 15 Gwanghwamun rally, they have decided to take strong measures including filing complaints against those who refuse or fail to comply with testing.

Accordingly, to ensure compliance with the COVID-19 epidemiological investigation for participants of the August 15 rally, the province will request investigations into those who were informed to get tested but refused or did not respond (or were unable to respond) to calls.

This tough response is a prompt measure targeting rally participants with high risk of COVID-19 infection, aiming to block community spread through thorough testing and management without omissions.

Jeonbuk Province has secured and is investigating a list of 288 participants excluding 16 duplicates, identified through 176 people via mobile carrier base stations related to the August 15 Gwanghwamun rally and 128 people through a search of bus leaders attending the rally in Jeonju City.

Among them, 36 participants refused or failed to comply (or were unable to comply) with testing.

As confirmed cases originating from Seoul Sarang Jeil Church and other metropolitan area churches attended the August 15 rally, COVID-19 infections have spread nationwide and increased on a large scale.

After the August 15 rally, 34 confirmed cases occurred in the Jeonbuk area on the 16th (1), 17th (7), 18th (2), 19th (5), 20th (5), 21st (4), 23rd (5), and 24th (5), accounting for 44% of the total 77 confirmed cases, showing continuous occurrence of infections.

Jeonbuk Province is taking swift and strict measures one after another to minimize contact and quickly isolate within the province by early identification of attendees of the August 15 rally and others.

Oh Taek-rim, Director of the Health, Welfare and Women’s Affairs Bureau, said, “We have no choice but to take strict measures against those who refuse or fail to comply with testing among participants of the August 15 Gwanghwamun rally for the safety and health of the majority of citizens,” adding, “Together with Jeonju City and others, we plan to request GPS tracking of the individuals through police cooperation and file an investigation request with the police to ensure compliance with the epidemiological investigation under Article 18, Paragraph 3 of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.”

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