"Tested for COVID-19 Four Times" Lee Nak-yeon Again Stays at Home

"Self-quarantine, better not to do it if the relationship is bad," jokingly said

Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is delivering a negotiation group representative speech at the National Assembly plenary session on the morning of the 7th. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] On the 7th, as a National Assembly correspondent tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, canceled his schedule and returned home.

The confirmed reporter had previously covered the meeting between the Chairperson of the Health and Welfare Committee and the President of the Korean Medical Association, as well as the meeting with the President of the Korean Intern Resident Association, held on the 1st. Han Jeong-ae, a Democratic Party lawmaker who was present at the meeting, was also classified as a contact and underwent a COVID-19 test before returning home.

After the meeting, Han attended key meetings such as the high-level party-government consultation on the 6th as the Policy Committee Chairperson, and on the morning of the 7th, attended the plenary session of the National Assembly, where she reportedly had close conversations with Lee. Accordingly, Lee, considering the possibility of COVID-19 infection, canceled his schedule and returned home.

This is not the first time Lee has returned home due to concerns about COVID-19 infection.

On the afternoon of the 29th of last month, at the Democratic Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, Lee Nak-yeon, who was elected as the new party leader at the '4th National Delegate Conference,' is delivering his acceptance speech at his home. / Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, on the 3rd, after a staff member of the Policy Committee Chairperson's office of the People Power Party, Lee Jong-bae, tested positive for COVID-19, Lee, who had contact including an 'elbow greeting' with the staff member, canceled all schedules and returned home.

Moreover, on the 19th of last month, Lee appeared on a CBS radio news show and was classified as a close contact of a reporter who tested positive for COVID-19 at that time, leading him to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Because of this, during the Democratic Party leadership election held on the 29th of last month, Lee delivered his acceptance speech and election remarks via video.

Having already experienced several self-quarantines before the 7th, Lee even joked about it.

At the high-level party-government meeting held on the 6th at the Prime Minister's official residence in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Lee said, "Self-quarantine is best avoided unless the relationship is particularly bad." When Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun remarked, "You have been quarantined twice," Lee replied, "I have taken four COVID-19 tests and all four were negative."

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