Police Begin Investigation of Officetel Visited by 3 Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in Gwangju

Poetry, Police Investigation Cooperation Requested
Planned Clarification of Suspicions Including Door-to-Door Sales Business

On the 11th, when the daytime temperature in Seoul exceeded 30 degrees Celsius, showing hot weather, medical staff at the Yangcheon-gu Public Health Center screening clinic in Seoul closed the tent door after finishing morning consultations. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] Gwangju City has requested police cooperation to investigate the facts regarding an officetel suspected to be a COVID-19 infection site. The police have deployed a rapid response team and are currently conducting an investigation.

On the 30th, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju, held a press conference at the city hall briefing room and stated, "Two additional confirmed cases (No. 43 and 44), who were contacts of Gwangju’s 37th confirmed patient, have been identified. An epidemiological investigation is underway regarding the officetel where the three met."

The mayor added, "It is urgent to understand the operational form of the officetel where the confirmed patients had contact and stayed, as well as the nature of the Mokpo briefing session. We will verify related details with the cooperation of the police."

The 37th, 43rd, and 44th confirmed patients in Gwangju had contact at an officetel in Dong-gu, Gwangju, on the afternoon of the 25th.

It was confirmed that the 43rd confirmed patient stayed at the officetel for a certain period daily. The 44th confirmed patient attended a coin briefing session held in Mokpo on the 28th.

The city revealed that 33 people from Mokpo, 14 from Gwangju, and 25 from other regions attended the briefing session. Accordingly, the city requested police cooperation to verify the authenticity of the attendee list.

The police immediately deployed a rapid response team (114 officers from five police stations) to begin the investigation.

The Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency suspects that there may be more visitors besides the three confirmed patients. They are analyzing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to identify those who entered the officetel around the estimated infection period.

Additionally, to prevent chain infections, the police will focus on identifying the identities and whereabouts of visitors. They also plan to investigate illegal activities related to door-to-door sales, suspicions concerning the 'coin briefing session,' and compliance with other quarantine rules.

Meanwhile, since the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Gwangju on February 3rd, the police have maintained a hotline cooperation system with the city, closely collaborating on contact tracing, management of self-quarantined individuals, and inspections of high-risk facilities.

Especially after the recent surge in confirmed cases in Gwangju over the past weekend, the Gwangju Police Agency is maintaining a readiness posture to immediately cooperate with the city’s epidemiological investigations through the rapid response teams (144 officers) from five police stations.