Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun "After the Cabinet Meeting on the 25th, Heading to Daegu and Gyeongbuk for On-site Command" (Update)

COVID-19 Press Briefing
Relevant Ministry Officials Also Stationed On-Site for Response

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun is delivering a speech at the Expanded Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting for COVID-19 response held on the 21st at the Seoul Situation Center, Central Disaster and Safety Situation Room, Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announced on the 24th that he will go down to the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions, where confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) are rapidly increasing, to take direct command on site.

On the same day, Prime Minister Chung held a press conference at the Government Seoul Office and explained, "After finishing the Cabinet meeting tomorrow morning, I plan to go down to the site to take direct command," adding, "Ministers of related departments are assessing the situation on site, and officials from the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Ministry of the Interior and Safety are also stationed there to actively respond to any difficulties or support needs."

Prime Minister Chung emphasized that since confirmed cases surged from the latter part of last week and the government raised the crisis alert to the severe level, all government capabilities will be mobilized without distinction between central and local governments.

He said, "The situation in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, where many confirmed cases are emerging, is not simply a regional issue but a national problem," and added, "We will mobilize all government capabilities without distinguishing between central and local governments."

He continued, "Until now, we have been implementing a blockade operation to prevent the inflow of COVID-19 from overseas and to block domestic transmission, but from the latter part of last week, community transmission has begun centered on specific regions and groups," and said, "Preemptive measures are necessary to prepare for the possibility of nationwide spread."

He also revealed plans to respond with speed, as the virus has a low fatality rate but strong transmissibility. Prime Minister Chung explained, "COVID-19 spreads quite rapidly and has a low fatality rate but tends to infect many people," and added, "The government and the quarantine headquarters have determined that they must respond with speed."