Prime Minister Jeong "Seriously Considering Strengthening Social Distancing Measures"

"Strictly Follow Quarantine Rules Such as Wearing Masks... Earnest Appeal to the Public"
Special Quarantine Period for College Entrance Exam from the 19th for Two Weeks... Strengthened Quarantine in Academies and PC Rooms

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announced on the 15th, "We will seriously consider raising the level of social distancing."

At the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting held at the Government Seoul Office that day, Prime Minister Chung said, "The spread of infections in our country, which had been relatively stable, has recently become serious."

Prime Minister Chung recalled that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide has surpassed 52 million. He explained that it took six months to reach the first 10 million cases, but recently, 10 million new cases occurred in just 20 days.

In South Korea, the daily number of confirmed cases, which had stayed around 100 for some time, began to exceed 200 this weekend. In the metropolitan area, which accounts for more than half of the total population, the average daily confirmed cases over the past week sharply increased to 83. Gangwon-do has already exceeded the criteria for raising the level.

Prime Minister Chung said, "The government will issue a preliminary warning for Gangwon and the metropolitan area today and seriously consider raising the social distancing level," adding, "If the level is raised, our daily lives will be restricted again, and the economic impact will be inevitable."

He urged the public, "I earnestly ask all citizens to thoroughly follow quarantine rules such as wearing masks to protect our precious daily lives at this stage."

Prime Minister Chung conveyed a message that the government will make every effort to safely conduct the upcoming college entrance exam, which is less than three weeks away.

He emphasized, "The government will do everything possible to ensure that all examinees can take the exam safely and fairly, with the determination to protect our future even amid the COVID-19 situation."

Prime Minister Chung announced, "From the 19th, we plan to operate a 'Special Quarantine Period for the College Entrance Exam' for two weeks." During this period, quarantine management will be strengthened at facilities frequently visited by students, such as academies and PC rooms.

He also requested people to refrain from face-to-face gatherings and events during the year-end and New Year holidays, such as year-end parties.

Prime Minister Chung stated, "Year-end gatherings, where people inevitably eat together or have close contact, pose a serious risk factor for the spread of COVID-19," and added, "Experts are warning that this year-end could be a catalyst for infection spread."

He urged, "In a situation where we have no choice but to coexist with COVID-19, we must change existing customs and cultures ourselves to protect the health of ourselves and our families," and asked, "Please join forces to spend the winter safely and healthily by refraining from face-to-face gatherings and events during the year-end and New Year holidays."

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