Prime Minister Kim Reveals Concerns on Quarantine: "Many Point Out Limits of Existing Methods"

COVID-19 Quarantine Experts Meeting

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum is holding a meeting with COVID-19 experts at the Government Seoul Office on the 12th. August 12, 2021.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Son Seon-hee] The government has been implementing ultra-high-intensity quarantine measures close to movement restrictions for a month, but concerns are deepening as the number of new COVID-19 cases soars to the 2,000 range.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum held a meeting with COVID-19 quarantine experts at the Government Seoul Office on the morning of the 12th and said, "Thanks to the cooperation of the people, we have come this far, but there have been many criticisms that this (existing quarantine measures) approach has reached its limit," adding, "Since the Delta variant, there have been global questions about whether the current (quarantine) framework we have is appropriate."

Having returned to work on this day after a short summer vacation until the previous day, Prime Minister Kim canceled his originally scheduled appointments and instead urgently convened a meeting with quarantine experts. According to an official from the Prime Minister's Office, this meeting was arranged the day before. Na Sung-woong, Deputy Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, also attended the meeting.

Prime Minister Kim said, "It is important to accurately hear the experts' opinions in this situation," and reiterated his concerns, saying, "The public is anxious, and there have been various discussions about whether to ease or strengthen recent quarantine measures." He added, "COVID-19 response is a 'scientific domain,' and we will respect the experts' views," requesting, "If you speak frankly, it will serve as a basis for the government when making various decisions."

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