Over 500,000 Sign National Petition Over Wuhan Pneumonia Concerns... Opposition Party Calls for Review of Entry Ban on Chinese Nationals (Comprehensive)

On the 28th, hand sanitizer was placed in the Liberty Korea Party's floor strategy meeting room held at the National Assembly. Meeting attendees, including Floor Leader Shim Jae-cheol, sanitized their hands with the sanitizer before the meeting began. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Ji-eun and Kim Hye-min] Amid the spread of the novel coronavirus, commonly referred to as 'Wuhan pneumonia,' the number of participants in a national petition requesting a ban on Chinese nationals' entry has surpassed 500,000. In this context, the Liberty Korea Party and the New Conservative Party have also raised the necessity of restricting Chinese tourists' entry.

Shim Jae-cheol, the floor leader of the Liberty Korea Party, stated at the party's floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly main building on the morning of the 28th, "We need to consider completely blocking the possibility of additional infections, such as banning the entry of Chinese travelers like Taiwan has done."

Shim emphasized, "Concerns are growing that additional infections may occur," and added, "Although the government said it would further strengthen quarantine measures, what has ultimately been confirmed is that there are holes in the health system of the health authorities."

Shim also pointed out, "Most experts say that people entering during the incubation period cannot currently be filtered out by the quarantine system, so there is a high possibility of secondary and tertiary infections occurring," and criticized, "The Blue House said it would respond if the national petition exceeded 200,000 participants, but there has been no response even after it surpassed 500,000."

After the meeting, he told reporters, "Although it is not yet the party's official stance to ban Chinese nationals' entry, the first step should be a thorough investigation of travelers who have visited China," and added, "Korean nationals who have visited China should also be checked, naturally." In this regard, the Liberty Korea Party appointed Assemblyman Shin Sang-jin as the chairman of the Wuhan Coronavirus Special Committee and will hold its first meeting at 3 p.m. today.

Yoo Seung-min, chairman of the Conservative Reconstruction Committee of the New Conservative Party, also stated at a press briefing held in front of the Blue House on the same day, "If the spread of Wuhan pneumonia is not properly contained due to hesitance over China, there will definitely be accountability."

Yoo pointed out, "Wuhan pneumonia has driven our people into fear throughout the recent holiday," and criticized, "With the belated health administration, confirmed cases have occurred domestically, and it is a very dangerous situation with an unknown extent of spread." He continued, "I hope all possible means will be used to prevent the spread of Wuhan pneumonia and to suppress the epidemic early," and added, "Furthermore, regarding various exchanges between China and Korea, I urge that all necessary measures, including entry bans, be taken under the principle that the lives of the people come first."

Ha Tae-kyung, co-representative of the New Conservative Party, said, "Since President Moon took office, the discipline of the Blue House and the president himself has become quite lax," and criticized, "The president himself has not kept his past words regarding the MERS issue as they were." He added, "I have strong doubts about whether the Moon administration is upholding the top priority principle of protecting the people," and stated, "Entry of people coming from the Wuhan area to Korea should be banned."

He further said, "For those who have already come from the Wuhan area, quarantine measures should be taken even now and maintained until the incubation period ends," and explained, "If they are released just because there are no external symptoms, the infection could spread rapidly. It is better to actively enforce quarantine measures until it is confirmed that there are no abnormalities after the incubation period."