Find Hidden COVID-19 Cases... Police Deploy 5,700 'Rapid Response Team' Members (Comprehensive)

Focus on Locating Shincheonji and Other Investigation Subjects
Ban on Downtown Seoul Rallies, Removal of Gwanghwamun Tents

On the 27th, in front of the tent protest site installed near Sejong-daero, Gwanghwamun, Seoul, officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Jongno District Office clashed with members of the Citizens' Countermeasures Committee for the late jockey Moon Jung-won. The Seoul Metropolitan Government, together with Jongno District, carried out an administrative enforcement from 6:30 a.m. that day against illegal protest tents and materials belonging to four organizations and seven tents located on Sejong-daero, Gwanghwamun. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporters Hyunju Lee, Gwanju Lee, Bonggi Kim] On the 27th, the police organized a large-scale 'COVID-19 Rapid Response Team' across 18 provincial police agencies and 255 police stations nationwide to focus exclusively on tasks related to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Each police station’s investigation division chief leads the team, which includes related departments such as investigation, criminal, cyber investigation, women and youth investigation, and intelligence, with a total of 5,753 police officers deployed.

The Rapid Response Team will be responsible for ▲confirming the whereabouts of individuals subject to inspection ▲supporting epidemiological investigations by health authorities ▲judicial handling of illegal activities violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, among other duties. In particular, the team prioritizes confirming the whereabouts of individuals whose locations are unknown during the comprehensive survey of suspected infected persons conducted by health authorities and local governments nationwide. Previously, the Daegu Provincial Police Agency received a request to confirm the whereabouts of 242 members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus and deployed 618 police officers, successfully locating 241 individuals except for one.

If individuals refuse to comply with epidemiological investigations, diagnostic tests, treatment, or quarantine measures by health authorities, strict action will be taken according to the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act. In such cases, a fine of up to 3 million KRW may be imposed. A police agency official stated, "As soon as a request for location confirmation is received, the Rapid Response Team will be activated promptly to verify and report the whereabouts."

Meanwhile, the police, considering the high possibility of COVID-19 spread due to urban rallies, have completely banned rallies in downtown Seoul since the day before. The rally ban areas include Seoul Station Plaza, Seoul, Cheonggye, Gwanghwamun Plaza, Hyoja-dong Samgeori Plaza, Sinmun-ro, Jongno 1-ga, the Prime Minister’s official residence road, and surrounding roads.

Seoul City and Jongno District began forcibly dismantling rally tents installed on Sejong-daero in Gwanghwamun from 6:30 a.m. that day and completed the dismantling work around 9:45 a.m., 3 hours and 15 minutes later. During this process, a physical clash occurred with the Public Transport Union, which had been holding an outdoor rally for over three months demanding a thorough investigation into the death of the late jockey Moon Jung-won, resulting in one rally participant being taken to the hospital.

A Seoul city official explained, "We issued removal orders and sent administrative execution warnings twice to encourage voluntary removal, but due to the prolonged illegal occupation, we had no choice but to proceed with administrative enforcement."