Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki in Self-Quarantine Until 19th... Secretary Confirmed with Delta Variant

Hong Nam-ki, Deputy Prime Minister of Economy Photo by Yonhap News

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Son Seon-hee] Hong Nam-ki, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, will enter self-quarantine until the 19th.

Earlier, it was additionally confirmed that a staff member from the secretariat who tested positive for COVID-19 on the 5th was infected with the 'Delta variant virus,' leading to a renewed notification for self-quarantine measures.

An official from the Ministry of Economy and Finance conveyed this news via a text message around 6 p.m. on the 12th. After the COVID-19 positive news of the secretariat staff member was reported, Deputy Prime Minister Hong underwent PCR tests on the 6th and 11th, both of which returned negative results. As he is fully vaccinated, he was initially classified as a 'passive monitoring' subject, allowing him to commute to work.

However, following an epidemiological investigation conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the staff member, it was confirmed that the infection was due to the 'Delta variant virus.' According to quarantine guidelines, Deputy Prime Minister Hong, as a close contact, was reclassified as a self-quarantine subject and will enter self-quarantine until the 19th.

An official from the Ministry of Economy and Finance stated, "The Economic Issue Coordination Meeting and the Innovation Growth BIG3 Promotion Meeting scheduled for the 13th have either been canceled or rescheduled," adding, "Deputy Prime Minister Hong will perform remote work from home using phone and email during the self-quarantine period."

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