[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] A foreigner who entered Korea earlier this month was forcibly deported after violating the government's self-quarantine measures. This is the first time that quarantine authorities have sanctioned a foreigner for violating self-quarantine rules.
The Ministry of Justice announced that an Indonesian man, A (40), who falsely reported his residence and left his self-quarantine location, was deported on a flight to Indonesia that took off at 3:20 p.m. on the 8th. This is the first sanction imposed on a foreigner who violated the 'restriction of activity range' order issued by the Minister of Justice, effective from the 1st of this month.
According to the Ministry of Justice, Mr. A entered through Incheon Airport on the 4th and reported his residence as the accommodation in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, where he worked as a cook before departure. Although he received the activity range restriction order from the Ministry of Justice, he immediately moved to a friend's house in Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk Province.
The Ansan city authorities and police confirmed that Mr. A had left his self-quarantine location and notified immigration authorities the next day. The authorities judged that Mr. A was likely to flee, having falsely reported his quarantine location, and took emergency protective measures at the Daegu Immigration Office's detention room around 11:10 a.m. on the 6th.
The Ministry of Justice determined that Mr. A violated the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act and the Immigration Control Act by falsely reporting his residence and immediately leaving despite being notified of his quarantine status during the entry process.
Since the 1st of this month, the Ministry of Justice has been enforcing the 'restriction of activity range' measure, which limits the activities of foreigners or sets other necessary compliance requirements when deemed necessary for public order or important interests of the Republic of Korea.
On the same day, the Ministry of Justice also detected a Vietnamese couple who left their self-quarantine location and is reviewing whether to forcibly deport them.
The couple, who entered on the 1st, left their self-quarantine location in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, and moved to Gimhae, Gyeongnam Province, before being caught by the Gangbuk-gu Public Health Center. Besides violating self-quarantine, they are also suspected of illegal employment, and the Ministry of Justice is currently taking protective measures.
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