Seodaemun-gu 'Dongseon Investigation Team' Activated to Track Detailed Movement of Confirmed Cases

Based on the investigation results, close contacts are requested to self-quarantine... Moon Seok-jin, Seodaemun-gu Mayor, emphasizes, "The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency should manage the overall flow of infectious disease response, while local governments handle detailed aspects, changing the infectious disease management paradigm."

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “Since the decisions of epidemiologists dispatched by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and Seoul City are delayed, our district needs to independently notify self-quarantine and establish and operate a movement investigation team within the Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for accurate investigation.”

This was an urgent emphasis made recently by Moon Seok-jin, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, at a policy meeting related to COVID-19.

Amid concerns about overload in the self-quarantine management system due to the rapid increase in confirmed cases, Seodaemun-gu has taken a proactive response.

The local government is taking responsibility for identifying the movement paths and close contacts of confirmed cases within the region by operating a ‘movement investigation team,’ and based on the results, actively enforcing self-quarantine measures for the residents concerned.

In fact, to block COVID-19 early and alleviate residents’ anxiety, the district formed its own ‘movement investigation team’ within the ‘Seodaemun-gu Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters’ on the 26th of this month.

Sixteen employees from audit, IT, and driving departments form teams of four and investigate the detailed movement routes of confirmed cases in the region every day without distinction between weekdays and weekends. When situations arise, 2 to 4 teams are deployed simultaneously according to task assignments.

This ‘movement investigation team’ does not have the authority given to epidemiologists, such as mobile phone location tracking or checking card usage history, so investigations are conducted through on-site inquiries based on confirmed patients’ statements, movement simulations, and CCTV verification.

In particular, Seodaemun-gu actively utilizes the ‘2,495 CCTV recording screens’ operated by the district’s integrated control center for illegal parking enforcement, crime prevention, public building management, and disaster monitoring to identify movement paths.

The investigation results of this team are intended to be used as a basis for the final decisions of epidemiologists or medical staff.

The activities of Seodaemun-gu’s ‘movement investigation team’ contributed to uncovering that the 111th confirmed patient (a Shincheonji believer) additionally visited three locations in the region: ▲Seoseoul Saemaeul Geumgo Headquarters ▲Seoseoul Saemaeul Geumgo Namgajwa Branch ▲Suhyup Namgajwa Branch.

On the 26th of this month, Team A of the movement investigation team confirmed the ‘vehicle number’ of the car the 111th confirmed patient boarded through CCTV, and based on this, Team B tracked the vehicle’s movement route to identify three additional visit sites and the status of six contacts (personal information, contact time, mask-wearing status, etc.).

Teams C and D confirmed whether existing self-quarantined individuals went out by checking apartment management office CCTV footage.

This operation of the movement investigation team using the district’s own human and material resources and the prompt disclosure of confirmed patients’ movement paths are expected to have a positive effect not only in preventing the spread of COVID-19 but also in preventing excessive anxiety among residents.

Moon Seok-jin, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, emphasized, “The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency should manage the overall flow of infectious disease response, and the detailed parts at the local level should be handled by basic local governments, changing the infectious disease management paradigm.”