Gyeonggi Province Spokesperson Kim Hong-guk "Deep Regret Over Allegations of Quarantine Rule Violations at Official Residence Dinner"

Kim Hong-guk, Spokesperson of Gyeonggi Province

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Kim Hong-guk, spokesperson for Gyeonggi Province, recently expressed strong regret regarding allegations of violations of quarantine rules by some media and politicians related to the public dinner at Governor Lee Jae-myung's official residence.

On the 4th, Kim posted on Facebook an article titled "Gyeonggi Province expresses deep regret over allegations of quarantine rule violations by some media and politicians," stating, "On May 27, for official duties involving discussions on balanced regional development and cooperation measures, the governor of Gyeonggi Province, two county governors, and one district mayor held an official dinner at the governor's residence." He added, "At that time, the governor's residence was a workspace suitable for meetings, no quarantine rules were violated, and there was no secret political meeting as some media suggested."

He continued, "After it was confirmed that an employee of the catering company tested positive, the governor underwent active monitoring self-quarantine at the governor's residence according to the instructions of epidemiological investigators and related manuals, and returned to work three days later." He added, "This process was regularly announced and the progress was disclosed through press releases and media briefings."

In particular, he emphasized, "Two confirmed cases and four contacts from the protocol team also responded by entering living treatment centers and self-quarantine according to the instructions of epidemiological investigators and manuals," adding, "This was also disclosed in real-time through press releases."

However, Kim expressed strong regret, saying, "The distribution of fake news by the media that seems to promote or ride on baseless rumors is a serious situation," and "Many people mention social responsibility, suggesting that 'punitive damages' should even be considered."

Furthermore, he urged, "Considering the very serious COVID-19 quarantine crisis, please publish responsible articles and commentaries so that public trust in quarantine authorities is not damaged."

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