"Why Reveal It If This Is the Case?"... Citizens Outraged Over 'Kkamkkami' Movement Disclosure

Confirmed Case Movement Disclosure Varies by Local Governments
Complaints Flood Local Governments with Non-Disclosure Policies
Some Local Governments Shift to Detailed Disclosure Amid COVID-19 Spread

On the 28th, as the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) worsened, a notice related to the numerous confirmed cases was posted in a corridor-style apartment in Guro-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] As the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spreads nationwide, some local governments are being passive in disclosing the movement information of confirmed cases, leading to growing dissatisfaction among citizens. Many local governments disclose information at a level where it is impossible to know whether one’s movement overlapped with that of a confirmed case, prompting strong criticism that such measures are pointless.

The controversy over the disclosure of confirmed cases’ movement routes first arose during the initial COVID-19 outbreak originating from Daegu and Gyeongbuk in February. This was due to the lack of unified standards among local governments that independently disclosed the status and movement routes of confirmed cases, causing confusion. According to the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act, movement routes of confirmed cases are mostly disclosed through the local government to which the confirmed case belongs. However, some local governments disclose specific details such as the names of visited stores and residential areas, while others completely withhold information related to personal data.

In response to ongoing controversy, the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) issued the third edition of the “Guidelines for Disclosure of Information on Confirmed Patients’ Movement Routes” on June 30, which included detailed instructions prohibiting the disclosure of personally identifiable information such as the confirmed patient’s gender, age, nationality, workplace name, and residential address below the eup, myeon, or dong level. Since then, local governments have generally disclosed movement routes in accordance with these standards. However, as COVID-19 cases have recently increased again, confusion has arisen as local governments differ once more in their criteria for the scope of movement route disclosure.

In particular, citizens’ complaints are mainly directed at local governments that limit the disclosure of information. The argument is that accurate information is necessary to determine whether movement routes overlap.

The government extended the social distancing level 2 in the metropolitan area for another week. On the 28th, congregants and visitors of Bitgaon Church lined up to get tested at the COVID-19 screening clinic at Nowon-gu Public Health Center in Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

For example, Incheon City restricts the disclosure of information such as the confirmed patient’s gender, residence, and visited locations, which has led to reactions that partial disclosure actually increases anxiety. In the case of a confirmed patient in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, on the 28th, although the patient was waiting at home after testing positive, only limited information beyond the residence was disclosed, resulting in a flood of complaint calls from residents. Some residents identified as living in the same neighborhood were unable to leave their homes or, after going out, were too anxious to return, causing an unfortunate and somewhat comical incident. This was because the Yeonsu District Office and Yeonsu Public Health Center, the local authorities, did not accurately inform residents living on the same street about the confirmed case. Similar situations have occurred in other local governments, including Gwangju Metropolitan City, which changed its policy from detailed disclosure of movement routes to non-disclosure citing concerns over privacy infringement.

Conversely, as the spread of COVID-19 shows no signs of slowing, some local governments are choosing to disclose detailed information. Jeju City provides information that can even infer the confirmed patient’s occupation, along with movement routes, through its official website and social network services (SNS). Wonju City also decided from the 25th to disclose detailed movement routes of confirmed cases. Gimhae City in Gyeongnam Province and Dangjin City in Chungnam Province also announced on the previous day that they would expand the disclosure of confirmed cases’ movement route information.

Meanwhile, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) announced in a briefing on the 26th that, after reviewing the disclosure status of confirmed cases’ movement routes by local governments from the 29th to 31st of last month, 35 cases of non-compliance with information disclosure standards were identified. Specifically, 19 cases involved disclosure of personally identifiable information such as the confirmed patient’s age and gender, which was the most frequent violation. There were also 11 cases where information was not deleted even after the disclosure period had expired. Additionally, there were 3 cases where addresses were disclosed.

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