Gwangju City Files Injury Charges Against Confirmed Case Who Illegally Left Self-Quarantine

Infecting 5 Family Members and Relatives... Related Costs Also to Be Charged

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 11th that it has filed a complaint against Mr. A for the crime of serious injury after he was confirmed positive for COVID-19 following unauthorized departure from his quarantine location during self-isolation, which led to the infection of five people including family members and acquaintances.

On the same day, Gwangju submitted a complaint to the Gwangju Nambu Police Station against Mr. A for violating self-quarantine rules, including unauthorized departure from the quarantine location.

Mr. A was classified as a close contact after two colleagues working at the same workplace tested positive on the 27th of last month, and was notified by the quarantine authorities around 11 a.m. that day to self-isolate.

On the same day he received the self-quarantine notice, around 2 p.m., Mr. A left his quarantine location, his home in Imaem-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju, and around 3 p.m., he visited Manyeonsa Temple located in Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do, by car together with his spouse, Ms. B, and mother-in-law, Ms. C. Around 6 p.m., he had a meal with six family members and relatives at a restaurant in Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do.

The next day, he again left his residence and attended a meeting with 10 clan members at the clan hall located in Buk-gu.

Subsequently, on the 2nd, Mr. A developed symptoms such as mild fever and headache but did not immediately report this to the health center. Instead, he again left his quarantine location without permission, visiting a hospital and pharmacy to get tested for COVID-19 and receive medication, and was ultimately confirmed positive.

During the epidemiological investigation following the positive diagnosis, unauthorized departure was confirmed. During the initial investigation, Mr. A deliberately omitted and concealed some of his movements, obstructing the quarantine authorities’ epidemiological investigation.

After Mr. A’s positive diagnosis, on the 3rd, his spouse Ms. B, mother-in-law Ms. C, and second son Mr. D tested positive, and on the 4th, Mr. E, who attended the clan meeting with him, and on the 7th, first son Mr. F were additionally confirmed positive, resulting in a total of five additional confirmed cases.

Gwangju City judged that Mr. A’s actions constitute a serious violation threatening the right to life of Gwangju citizens, considering that he was notified as a COVID-19 self-quarantine subject and was fully aware of the infection risk but still left the quarantine location without permission, dined with family and acquaintances, and attended a long meeting, indiscriminately violating self-quarantine rules. Furthermore, the mother-in-law Ms. C and clan member Mr. E, who were infected due to Mr. A, are elderly and vulnerable to COVID-19. Therefore, Mr. A was reported not only for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act but also for the crime of serious injury under the Criminal Act.

Additionally, the city plans to claim compensation and damages for ▲disinfection costs ▲hospitalization and treatment expenses for Mr. A and the additionally infected persons ▲all other costs incurred during self-quarantine once the epidemiological investigation is completed.

Since February last year, the city has detected 42 cases of unauthorized departure from self-quarantine, of which 37 were reported for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act.

Among the 37 reported individuals, 17 have been sentenced to imprisonment or fines, while the remaining 20 are undergoing prosecution and trial.

Kim Il-yong, Director of the City’s Autonomous Administration Bureau, stated, “Unauthorized departure despite being notified of self-quarantine is not a simple act of deviation but a serious refusal of quarantine that threatens the life and health of the Gwangju community. We will continue to strictly respond by applying a zero-tolerance policy without exception.”

Meanwhile, Gwangju currently manages 1,181 self-quarantine subjects, with 1,787 dedicated public officials monitoring their status daily and providing support to alleviate inconveniences in daily life.

Since the first confirmed case in Gwangju on February 3rd last year, a total of 44,106 people have undergone self-quarantine to date.

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