Suncheon City to File Subrogation Claim Against Busan Buk-gu Office

Joint Claims Also for Those Violating Self-Quarantine Obligations

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Suncheon City (Mayor Heo Seok) announced on the 22nd that it has decided to claim compensation from a confirmed COVID-19 patient from Busan who visited Suncheon and the Buk-gu Office of Busan City, which inadequately managed the case.

According to Suncheon City, a man in his 60s, Mr. A, who had contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient in Busan, stayed in Suncheon for four days from the 16th to the 19th.

Mr. A was confirmed to have the same movement path as Busan patient number 362 at a restaurant in Busan on the 6th, but he was only notified as a self-quarantine subject by the Buk-gu Public Health Center of Busan City on the 17th, eleven days later.

However, Mr. A came to Suncheon on the 16th, the day before receiving the self-quarantine notification. He stayed for three days at a funeral hall in Suncheon to attend a family funeral.

Even after being notified as a self-quarantine subject on the 17th, Mr. A did not comply with the self-quarantine. Moreover, the Buk-gu Public Health Center of Busan City, knowing that Mr. A was in Suncheon, outside their jurisdiction, failed to notify the Suncheon City Public Health Center, which is considered a significant responsibility.

The Buk-gu Public Health Center of Busan City not only failed to fulfill the notification obligation but also did not properly manage Mr. A, who was supposed to be checked twice daily by phone as a self-quarantined individual.

As a result, Suncheon City had to endure material and psychological damages, with public health officials and related personnel working emergency shifts to collect and analyze specimens from about 200 people who had overlapping movement paths at the funeral hall, as well as close contacts.

Furthermore, considering that the COVID-19 crisis triggered by Suncheon patient number 5 just a month ago severely froze Suncheon's economy, the responsibility for causing sleepless nights for 280,000 Suncheon citizens must also be borne.

Accordingly, Suncheon City announced that it plans to claim compensation from the Buk-gu Office of Busan City and Mr. A as soon as the situation is resolved.

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