COVID-19 '20 False Statements' Incheon Academy Instructor... 6-Month Prison Sentence

Court: "Significant Social and Economic Losses Occurred"

The tutoring academy in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, where A (24), a tutoring instructor diagnosed with COVID-19, worked. / Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] An Incheon academy instructor who caused controversy by lying about their occupation and movement during an epidemiological investigation after contracting the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been sentenced to prison.

Judge Kim Yonghwan of the Incheon District Court Criminal Division 7 sentenced the academy instructor A (24) to six months in prison on the 8th in a sentencing trial, who was indicted in custody for violating the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act.

Judge Kim stated, "The defendant made more than 20 false statements or omissions regarding their occupation and movement during three epidemiological investigations," adding, "Until the time the false statements were detected, self-quarantine measures for the defendant's contacts were not implemented promptly, and COVID-19 was transmitted to many people."

He continued, "The defendant's crime caused significant social and economic losses, and the fear felt by community members was indescribable," explaining the sentencing rationale by saying, "Considering that the defendant denied part of the crime during the investigation and other unfavorable circumstances after the crime."

Earlier, the prosecution had requested the maximum statutory sentence of two years in prison for A at the sentencing hearing held on the 15th of last month.

The prosecution stated at the time, "The defendant visited a gym on the day of the epidemiological investigation and later went to a coffee shop," and added, "Due to the defendant's negligence, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 80, making the crime very serious."

According to the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act, if a person is caught leaving a self-quarantine location, they may be sentenced to imprisonment of up to one year or fined up to 10 million won, and if they make false statements during an epidemiological investigation, they may be sentenced to imprisonment of up to two years or fined up to 20 million won.

After being diagnosed with COVID-19, A lied about their occupation during the initial epidemiological investigation by hiding that they were an academy instructor and claiming to be "unemployed," and deliberately did not disclose some movement routes, leading to a complaint filed by Incheon City.

He was infected with COVID-19 after visiting clubs in Itaewon, Seoul, on May 2-3 this year. Because he lied about his occupation and movement, contacts were not quarantined or tested in advance, causing a surge in community infections.

Infections linked to the academy where A worked and an Incheon coin karaoke visited by his student spread to a birthday buffet restaurant in Bucheon, and confirmed cases continued daily across the metropolitan area.

More than 40 confirmed cases related to A, including elementary, middle, and high school students, were reported in Incheon alone, and over 80 infections nationwide. The transmission originating from A led to cases of '7th generation infection.'

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