Prime Minister Jeong "Praying for the Eternal Rest of Mayor Park Won-soon, Who Devoted Himself to the Citizens of Seoul"

"Weekend Returns, Mandatory Core Church Quarantine Rules Starting This Week"

Prime Minister Jeong Sye-kyun

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Kwang-ho] Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun expressed his condolences on the death of Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, who was found dead on the 10th, saying, "I pray for his soul and offer my deepest condolences to the bereaved family."

At the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting on COVID-19 held at the Government Seoul Office on the same day, Prime Minister Chung stated, "Mayor Park Won-soon, who had devoted himself to the citizens of Seoul for over 10 years, passed away yesterday."

Prime Minister Chung was scheduled to have lunch with Mayor Park and other Seoul city officials on the 9th, but Mayor Park called him around 10 a.m. saying, "I am not feeling well and may not be able to attend," and subsequently did not attend. The lunch was canceled as a result.

Mayor Park was found dead around 12:01 a.m. that day in the mountains near the fortress wall path between Sukjeongmun and Samcheonggak in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Prime Minister Chung said, "It is the weekend again. From this weekend, core quarantine rules will be mandatory in churches," adding, "I feel heavy-hearted as it seems to place an additional burden on the majority of denominations and believers who have voluntarily cooperated with quarantine measures so far."

He continued, "Since this is for the greater cause of public safety, I ask for continued voluntary participation and cooperation," emphasizing, "I would also like to remind you once again that restrictions will be lifted in places where quarantine rules are strictly observed."

Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases imported from overseas has noticeably increased since June. For three consecutive weeks recently, the weekly number of confirmed cases has exceeded 100, heightening public anxiety.