What Do You Think About "Electronic Bracelets for Self-Quarantine" vs. "Human Rights Violations"?

As of the 4th, over 37,000 nationwide self-quarantined individuals
137 caught violating self-quarantine rules including unauthorized departure
Government considers wristband use... concerns over human rights violations also raised

Office workers wearing masks on their way to work [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] In relation to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) situation, individuals under self-quarantine have recently been repeatedly leaving their quarantine locations, causing significant social confusion. The government is considering so-called 'electronic bracelets' such as wristbands, but there are criticisms regarding human rights violations, sparking controversy around this issue.

Those who have been in contact with confirmed cases or are under suspicion of infection and have entered self-quarantine but leave without permission mostly visit nearby restaurants or enjoy drives, failing to observe social distancing.

Mr. A, residing in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, was classified as a contact of a confirmed case and received a self-quarantine notice on the 1st, but left without permission the next day, going to work and visiting a restaurant.

Also, Mr. B, a Vietnamese national residing in Gangbuk-gu, used a taxi on the 2nd to travel to Gimhae City, Gyeongnam Province. Gangbuk-gu plans to file a complaint and request forced deportation to the Ministry of Justice.

Earlier, on the 25th of last month, Mr. C, a self-quarantine subject residing in Gangnam-gu, left home and went for a drive in his car, then returned, leading Gangnam-gu to file a complaint.

Mr. D, who had visited Hungary, entered self-quarantine for 14 days until the 12th but left without permission on the evening of the 4th and socialized with friends for about five hours at a nearby restaurant.

There were even cases where people did not install the self-quarantine app or left their phones at home to avoid government monitoring. Mr. E was notified of self-quarantine from the 27th of last month until the 9th of this month but was caught by an inspection team while walking in Samnak Ecological Park, Sasang-gu, Busan, on the afternoon of the 3rd without installing the self-quarantine app.

According to the government and health authorities, as of the 4th, there are about 37,000 people under self-quarantine nationwide, of whom 137 have been caught violating self-quarantine guidelines such as unauthorized departure.

In particular, in Daegu, where 66% of the nationwide COVID-19 confirmed cases and 69% of deaths have occurred, 24 people are currently under police investigation for violating self-quarantine orders.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Given this situation, public opinion is growing that coercive measures such as 'electronic bracelets' should be used to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

On the 6th, Park Jong-hyun, Public Relations Manager of the Pan-Government Countermeasure Support Headquarters, said in an interview with CBS Radio's 'Sisa Jaki Jung Kwan-yong' that "(in terms of preventing COVID-19 spread) the government is currently considering connecting wristbands with mobile phones."

Park explained, "To efficiently manage self-quarantined individuals, we have developed and are using a self-quarantine safety protection app, but the problem that cannot be solved with this app is when people leave their phones behind. The technical solution to this is the wristband used in Hong Kong, which connects to the phone via Bluetooth."

The issue is the element of human rights infringement. There are concerns that measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as wearing wristbands, may excessively invade privacy.

Park said, "If the wristband is used, an alarm will sound if the phone is left behind, and the responsible official can immediately report to the police. The problem is that applying this technology requires the consent of the individual, and if implemented without consent, institutional improvements must be made first."

Health authorities are facing similar concerns. On the 6th, Kim Kang-rip, the first chief coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, expressed a reserved stance on public opinion calling for the introduction of devices such as electronic bracelets to strengthen management and prevent self-quarantine violations, saying, "We need to consider whether there are any problems or legal issues when actually applying this."

He added, "The health authorities are taking very seriously the cases where those under self-quarantine are not following various rules. We need to carefully review whether this can be applied under current laws, especially the Infectious Disease Prevention Act."

Civilian reactions are mixed. Mr. A, a company employee in his 30s, supports the measure of 'electronic bracelets' for self-quarantined individuals. He said, "The only way to prevent unauthorized departure of self-quarantined individuals is to use coercive measures. They should not have left without permission in the first place; it is causing too much social damage," expressing frustration.

On the other hand, Mr. B, a university student in his 20s, said, "It reminds me of electronic anklets used for sex offenders. Coercive measures seem problematic. It would be better to strengthen fines instead," emphasizing this point.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Other countries manage self-quarantined individuals through coercive measures. According to CNN on the 3rd (local time), the Jefferson District Court in Kentucky, USA, ordered residents who violated COVID-19 self-quarantine measures to wear electronic bracelets. Additionally, three others, including a COVID-19 infected person and contacts who violated court self-quarantine orders by going shopping, were also ordered to wear electronic bracelets.

China is taking even stronger measures. When a resident in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, was found to have used public transportation to go to work after returning from Europe, they were sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison. Also, due to increased infection concerns from overseas arrivals, the Chinese government mandated 14 days of self-quarantine for all overseas entrants.

Hong Kong has been strictly managing all overseas arrivals by requiring them to wear electronic wristbands for two weeks since last month. These wristbands are connected to a smartphone app to verify whether quarantined individuals are actually staying at home.

Moreover, those who do not comply with self-quarantine or report false locations face prosecution, with penalties including up to six months imprisonment or a fine of 5,000 Hong Kong dollars (approximately 800,000 KRW). The Hong Kong government is reported to have prepared over 60,000 wristbands.

Meanwhile, the government has appealed for full efforts to prevent COVID-19 infection, including mandatory self-quarantine. Park Jong-hyun of the Pan-Government Countermeasure Support Headquarters said, "Through amendments to the Infectious Disease Prevention Act, penalty provisions have been significantly strengthened, and from April 5, violators can face up to one year imprisonment or fines up to 10 million KRW," urging people to strictly observe self-quarantine and social distancing.