"President Moon Must Apologize" Jailhouse Cluster Infection Spreads... Opposition Launches Full-Scale Attack Calling Moon the "Sewol Ferry Captain"

People Power Party Criticizes 'Human Rights Lawyer Moon Jae-in' Quote Over 'Detention Center Cluster Infection' Incident
Opposition Lawmakers Demand National Investigation into Detention Center COVID-19 Outbreak
Democratic Party: "Initial Response Inadequate... We Take Public Criticism Seriously"
"Firm Response to Opposition's Excessive Political Offensive"
"No Sincerity for the People, Only Verbal Attacks for Political Strife"

Column by then-lawyer Moon Jae-in titled 'Deteriorating Human Rights of Inmates' published in Hankyoreh Newspaper on November 7, 1991. Photo by Hankyoreh Newspaper (print capture)

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] As the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) related to Seoul Eastern Detention Center reached 1,084 on the 3rd (1,041 inmates, 22 staff, 21 family and acquaintances), the opposition parties launched a full-scale offensive demanding an apology from President Moon Jae-in and a national investigation. In particular, the People Power Party likened President Moon to a captain by referring to the 'Sewol Ferry disaster.' The Democratic Party of Korea immediately rebutted, saying, "Only reckless remarks for political strife remain."

Seoul Eastern Detention Center reported another mass confirmation of 121 cases in the full inspection conducted the previous day (3rd). Four inmates transferred from Seoul Eastern Detention Center to Gangwon Northern Prison and one staff member of the Eastern Detention Center also tested positive. In the recent five consecutive full inspections, 120 to 300 confirmed cases have been reported each time.

The Ministry of Justice is implementing dispersal measures by transferring confirmed cases to Gyeongbuk Northern Second Prison and separating hundreds of inmates who tested negative to Gangwon Northern Prison and Yeoju Prison, among others, but the situation is worsening. Considering that the total number of inmates at Seoul Eastern Detention Center was 2,149 at the time of the first full inspection, the proportion of confirmed inmates (1,041) has reached 43%. This means that 4 out of 10 inmates at Seoul Eastern Detention Center have tested positive.

On the afternoon of the 3rd, an inmate at the Dongbu Detention Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul, where a large number of new coronavirus infection cases are occurring, is showing a hand sign to the press.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Despite the situation, the infection route has not yet been clearly identified. Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae wrote on her Facebook on the same day, "We must quickly identify the cause of additional confirmed cases among inmates who tested negative," adding, "It is presumed that contact with asymptomatic infected persons who were not filtered out while separating symptomatic and asymptomatic inmates at the early stage is the cause of the spread."

In the political sphere, calls for a direct apology from the president have been made regarding the continuous emergence of confirmed cases in the detention center. On the 3rd, the People Power Party issued a statement quoting President Moon Jae-in's past remarks concerning the surge in COVID-19 cases related to Seoul Eastern Detention Center, saying, "It is regrettable that the president, who is a human rights lawyer by background, has not personally inspected the site and apologized to the public even today."

People Power Party spokesperson Bae Jun-young introduced relevant constitutional provisions, saying, "There is a constitutional article to be recalled regarding this Eastern Detention Center COVID-19 incident," citing Article 6, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution: 'Public officials are servants of the entire people and are responsible to the people.'

Spokesperson Bae also mentioned a notable column written by a human rights lawyer to be referenced.

He referred to a column written by President Moon during his time as a human rights lawyer, saying, "(In the column) pretrial detainees are presumed innocent under the Criminal Procedure Act and are in a position to defend themselves against powerful police and prosecutors during investigation and trial processes," and "Human rights violations and poor treatment of them are like tying one boxer’s hands and holding a boxing match."

On the afternoon of the 3rd, escort vehicles are leaving the Dongbu Detention Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul, where a large number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection are occurring.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding this, spokesperson Bae pointed out, "In summary, the current Eastern Detention Center COVID-19 incident is a dereliction of duty toward citizens in a vulnerable position, and the public officials involved must bear legal civil and criminal responsibility for both the 'past' and 'future' situations."

Additionally, former Future United Party (now People Power Party) lawmaker Yoo Seung-min wrote on Facebook the previous day, "People are being driven to death in detention centers and nursing hospitals right now; what kind of thoughts does President Moon have about their human rights and lives?"

He continued, "Serious violations of life and human rights are occurring in detention centers and nursing hospitals, and the Moon Jae-in administration’s insistence on cohort isolation while neglecting their lives and safety is no different from the Sewol Ferry captain telling passengers to 'wear life jackets and wait,'" criticizing, "The president must do his best even now."

President Moon Jae-in Photo by Yonhap News

There were also calls to hold a national investigation and special prosecutor to hold those responsible for the Seoul Eastern Detention Center incident accountable. Lawmaker Park Dae-chul of the same party raised his voice on Facebook, saying, "The Eastern Detention Center incident is a state crime that endangered the lives and safety of thousands of inmates," and demanded, "Introduce a special prosecutor and conduct a national investigation."

Also, People Power Party lawmakers Yoo Sang-bum, Jeon Ju-hye, and Cho Soo-jin, members of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, demanded a national investigation regarding the large-scale COVID-19 cluster infection at the Eastern Detention Center at a press briefing at the National Assembly Communication Hall on the same day.

In response, Democratic Party spokesperson Kang Sun-woo said in a briefing, "We take the public’s criticism of the initial response failure seriously," but added, "We will firmly respond to the opposition’s excessive political offensive that misleads public opinion to fit the 'failure of quarantine' narrative."

Spokesperson Kang said, "The opposition repeatedly demands apologies from the prime minister, ministers, and ruling party in a 'stamp-breaking' manner, accuses the situation as a form of negligent homicide, and even likens the president to the Sewol Ferry captain using this incident as a pretext. There is no sincerity for the people, only reckless remarks for political strife remain," rebutting the opposition.

Democratic Party lawmaker Shin Dong-geun also wrote on Facebook, "It is natural to point out errors or mistakes and urge countermeasures during the cohort quarantine process at the Eastern Detention Center and nursing hospitals," but criticized, "Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min’s remark that 'what is different from the Sewol Ferry disaster?' appears to be intended solely to provoke political strife."

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