Teen from Gwangju family who hid attendance at 'Gwanghwamun rally' also took the GED exam

Published 03 Sep.2020 15:34(KST)

On the afternoon of the 15th of last month, Liberation Day, a rally condemning the Moon Jae-in administration was held in front of Donghwa Duty Free Shop in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon & Intern Reporter] It was recently confirmed that a teenage boy, A, from a Gwangju family who tested positive for COVID-19 after hiding his attendance at the Gwanghwamun rally on the 15th of last month, took the high school equivalency exam.

According to Gwangju City on the 3rd, patient number 373 in Gwangju, A, took the high school equivalency exam at a high school in Gwangju on the 22nd of last month.

At the time, A was asymptomatic and reportedly passed the temperature check at the exam site.

Health authorities identified that 13 examinees and 3 supervisors were in contact in the same classroom and have initiated diagnostic testing along with active monitoring.

All 179 examinees and supervisors on the same floor, including them, were also notified to undergo testing.

During the epidemiological investigation, it was confirmed that authorities received a tip that A had taken the high school equivalency exam.

Previously, on the 15th of last month, A attended the Gwanghwamun rally with family members including patient number 363 (a man in his 20s) and numbers 369, 370, and 371 (a couple in their 40s and a teenage female) from Gwangju, traveling by chartered bus from Mudeung Stadium in Buk-gu, Gwangju.

After attending the rally, they did not get tested for COVID-19 and continued daily activities such as visiting supermarkets, other regions, PC rooms, and restaurants for over ten days.

The five family members, despite attending the Gwanghwamun rally, concealed this fact and refused testing, eventually testing positive for COVID-19 between the 29th and 30th of last month.

Gwangju City expanded the GPS movement analysis after the rally based on the family's uncooperative behavior, including hiding their attendance and lying during the epidemiological investigation.

GPS data confirmed that three family members visited a church in Gwangsan-gu seven times between the 15th and 30th of last month, and COVID-19 testing is underway for the church members.