COVID-19 Cluster Infection at Chungnam Hongseong Prison... 26 Inmates and 3 Staff Members Cohort Quarantined

On the morning of the 13th, Yoo Byung-cheol, Director of the Correctional Headquarters at the Ministry of Justice, is briefing on the COVID-19 cluster infection situation at Hongseong Prison. / Photo by Ministry of Justice TV, YouTube broadcast screen capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] A COVID-19 cluster infection has occurred at Hongseong Prison located in Hongseong-gun, Chungcheongnam-do.

On the 13th, the Correctional Headquarters announced that as of the afternoon of the previous day, a total of 29 people, including 26 inmates and 3 staff members at Hongseong Prison, tested positive for COVID-19.

Yoo Byung-chul, head of the Ministry of Justice Correctional Headquarters, stated in a briefing held via the Ministry of Justice TV YouTube channel on the morning of the same day that after one newly admitted inmate tested positive on the 11th, testing was conducted for all staff and inmates, resulting in an additional 25 inmates and 3 staff members testing positive on the 12th.

Among them, 3 staff members and 15 inmates experienced breakthrough infections despite having completed their second vaccine dose, while the remaining 11 inmates had not yet completed vaccination.

The Ministry of Justice immediately dispatched the head of the Correctional Headquarters to the site upon confirming the cluster infection the previous day and held an emergency countermeasure meeting at Hongseong Prison. As a result, it was decided to cohort quarantine the confirmed cases and close contacts within Hongseong Prison. Additionally, the remaining approximately 200 unconfirmed inmates are planned to be transferred to other correctional facilities as early as the same day.

Head Yoo stated, "Unlike last year's COVID-19 cluster infection incident at Seoul Eastern Detention Center, we will respond swiftly to avoid causing concern to the public."

Meanwhile, Park Beom-gye, Minister of Justice, chaired an emergency quarantine countermeasure meeting online with heads of correctional institutions nationwide from 10 a.m. on the same day, and plans to visit Hongseong Prison in person in the afternoon to inspect the measures.

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