News of Confirmed Cases at Infant Expo Attended by 4,000 Sparks Anxiety in Mom Cafes

An employee tested positive for COVID-19 at the infant expo held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, leading to the complete suspension of the event. It is reported that around 4,000 people attended the event during the period the confirmed case was present at the venue. On the 11th, a cancellation notice was posted at COEX. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] A COVID-19 case was confirmed at the infant expo held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, leading to the cancellation of the event. It is reported that around 4,000 visitors attended the expo while the infected person was present, raising concerns about the spread of infection.

The organizer of the '47th Seoul International Infant Education Exhibition & Kids Fair,' Segye Jeonram, announced on the 10th through their website that "a staff member working at Hall B tested positive for COVID-19." They also stated, "Prioritizing the safety of visitors and participating companies, we immediately informed the public and decided to suspend the exhibition operations."

At the '47th Seoul International Early Childhood Education Expo & Kids Fair' held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, the organizer, World Exhibition, announced the cancellation of the event on their website after a COVID-19 case was confirmed.
[Photo by Seoul International Early Childhood Education Expo & Kids Fair website capture]

Segye Jeonram conveyed that the Gangnam Public Health Center's Disease Control Department confirmed the infected individual consistently wore a mask and did not consume food, thus adhering to quarantine guidelines. They also explained that there were no close contacts of the infected person, and that the individual's wife and three children all tested negative for COVID-19.

They added, "Although the Gangnam Public Health Center's Disease Control Department advised that the exhibition could proceed as normal, we made the final decision to fully cancel the event to ensure the safety of numerous participating companies and visitors, especially pregnant women and infants."

However, since approximately 4,000 visitors attended the expo from the 8th to the 10th while the infected person was present, concerns about the spread of infection remain significant. In response, some mom cafes expressed reactions such as "I feel uneasy," "I was going to go but didn't, thank goodness," "I just hope it's okay since they followed quarantine rules well," and "I was shocked when I saw the notice."

Meanwhile, the Seoul International Infant Education Exhibition & Kids Fair was scheduled to be held for four days from the 8th to the 11th on the entire first floor of COEX, Seoul. About 300 related companies participated in this event.

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