Prime Minister Jeong: "Will Not Tolerate Unreasonable Acts Threatening Citizens' Lives and Safety"

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said on the 14th, "The government will neither overlook nor tolerate irrational acts that blatantly threaten the lives and safety of the people, such as obstructing epidemiological investigations and refusing diagnostic tests."

At the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting on COVID-19 held at the Government Complex Sejong on the same day, Prime Minister Chung stated, "A significant number of people are refusing or consistently uncooperative with epidemiological investigations by quarantine authorities and diagnostic test requests by local governments, increasing concerns about the spread of infection. Yesterday, some filed lawsuits against administrative orders from local governments in a brazen manner, shocking many citizens."

Prime Minister Chung instructed, "Each local government should promptly identify those refusing tests with the cooperation of the police and take strict measures against any illegal acts confirmed during the process. Also, please hold them fully accountable, including claiming compensation for public health damages caused by illegal acts."

He expressed concern, saying, "As COVID-19 prolongs and the cumulative number of confirmed cases in our country exceeds 70,000, social interest in the aftereffects experienced by recovered patients is increasing. According to recent domestic and international studies, many COVID-19 survivors suffer from various symptoms ranging from fatigue, muscle pain, and headaches to hair loss and lung diseases."

He continued, "While it is urgent to prevent the spread for now, it is also the nation's responsibility to help recovered patients overcome aftereffects and restore their daily lives in a healthy state. To fully heal the scars left in our society after the end of COVID-19, it is necessary to investigate the reality of these aftereffects."

He added, "I understand that quarantine authorities are already conducting research on this, but I urge you to thoroughly prepare accurate assessments, cause investigations, and treatment measures."

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