Ministry of Justice Imposes Leave Ban and Suspension of Visits for All Staff at Seoul Eastern Detention Center Amid COVID-19 Cluster Infection... On-Site Task Force Established (Comprehensive)

Comprehensive Testing of 2,844 Employees and Inmates Reveals 185 Positive Cases
Former President Lee Myung-bak Tests Negative

Seoul Eastern Detention Center, Songpa-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The Ministry of Justice has established an on-site task force at Seoul Eastern Detention Center, where a cluster of COVID-19 cases occurred, and is operating an emergency duty system for all staff, prohibiting outings after work to manage the situation.

On the 19th, the Ministry of Justice stated, "Regarding the 17 confirmed COVID-19 cases among Seoul Eastern Detention Center staff and inmates from the 27th of last month to the 16th of this month, we proactively conducted comprehensive diagnostic testing on 425 staff members and 2,419 inmates with the cooperation of health authorities yesterday." They added, "As of 2 p.m. today, one staff member and 184 inmates tested positive for COVID-19."

Accordingly, the Ministry of Justice announced that it has established a COVID-19 on-site task force at Seoul Eastern Detention Center, led by Shin Kyung-gu, head of the Ministry of Justice Security Policy Division, to strengthen on-site command systems and immediately isolate confirmed cases and contacts in separate housing units.

Additionally, the Ministry of Justice is conducting an epidemiological investigation into infection routes in cooperation with Seoul City and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. They are thoroughly investigating the possibility of infection by both new inmates and staff, in relation to the multiple confirmed cases in the new inmate housing unit.

The Ministry of Justice currently isolates all new inmates for 14 days without exception from the day of admission in all correctional facilities and lifts isolation if no abnormalities are found. However, considering the recent silent spread of asymptomatic cases in the metropolitan area, they stated that the possibility of infection spread by asymptomatic new inmates cannot be ruled out.

The Ministry of Justice is operating an emergency duty system for all staff at Seoul Eastern Detention Center, prohibiting outings after work, and has completely suspended visits, rehabilitation events, transfers, and other treatments and movements that could involve contact.

The Ministry of Justice has established and is implementing the ‘Seoul Eastern Detention Center Cohort Isolation Operation Plan’ and stated that they will carry out more effective COVID-19 spread prevention measures through thorough identification of infection routes and causes.

Former President Lee Myung-bak has been incarcerated at Seoul Eastern Detention Center since the 2nd of last month. It is known that he tested negative.

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