Government: Inviting acquaintances during self-quarantine is a violation of obligations... National and local governments must investigate to assess the situation (Update)

YouTuber Guk Ga-bi (real name Guk Gabriella) caused controversy by inviting friends to her home for a birthday party while under self-quarantine. Photo by YouTuber Guk Ga-bi, screenshot from broadcast.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seul-gi] Regarding the recent controversy over YouTuber Guk Ga-bi (real name Guk Ga Briella) inviting acquaintances to her home during self-quarantine, the government stated, "Self-quarantine is a legal measure under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, so violations are punishable according to the law."

On the 15th, Son Young-rae, head of the Strategic Planning Division at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, emphasized at a back briefing held at the Government Complex Sejong, "The very concept of self-quarantine is to stay at home without contact with others, so inviting outsiders for meals or conversations is naturally a violation of the obligation."

He continued, "Cases of allowing outsiders to enter during self-quarantine are rare. However, it is permitted for self-quarantined individuals to receive delivery items left at the door when no one is present and then bring them inside," adding, "In Guk Ga-bi's case, the relevant local government should investigate and assess the situation."

Inviting acquaintances during self-quarantine constitutes a violation of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, and holding a birthday party requires the local government to investigate the circumstances at the time to determine whether there was a legal violation, which is the government's position.

Regarding the criticism that, unlike leaving the home during self-quarantine, inviting acquaintances inside cannot be detected, Son said, "There is no way to detect this through information technology or other means," but emphasized, "If detected later through resident reports or other methods, legal penalties will be imposed accordingly."

Meanwhile, on the 10th, Guk Ga-bi posted content on her YouTube channel showing a birthday party with family and acquaintances at her home entrance, which drew public criticism.

In the video, Guk Ga-bi is seen standing at the entrance talking with acquaintances, blowing out candles with her mask lowered to celebrate her birthday. The Mapo District Public Health Center in Seoul reportedly requested the Mapo Police Station to investigate whether Guk Ga-bi violated self-quarantine rules the day before.

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