Cluster COVID-19 Infection at Seoul Namdaemun Market Shops... 9 Confirmed Cases (Update)

On the 8th of last month, when the Korea Together Sale event was held, Namdaemun Market in Jung-gu, Seoul was bustling with citizens. / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] A cluster infection of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) occurred at a shopping complex in Namdaemun Market, Seoul, prompting health authorities to identify additional infected individuals.

According to Seoul City and Jung-gu on the 10th, eight merchants at the 'Kennedy Shopping Complex' in Namdaemun Market were confirmed positive for COVID-19 as of the afternoon of the previous day.

Kennedy Shopping Complex is a women's fashion specialty shopping complex located between exits 5 and 6 of Hoehyeon Station on Seoul Subway Line 4 (48-7 Namchang-dong, Jung-gu).

Earlier, on the 7th, a woman working at this complex (resident of Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province) was the first to be confirmed positive. After health authorities tested 20 merchants working on the same floor as this woman, seven additional confirmed cases were identified.

Additionally, the child of the first confirmed woman also tested positive, bringing the total number of related confirmed cases to nine so far.

The infected merchants worked at stores on the first floor of the complex. Seoul City has identified that there are other workers on different floors of the same building, estimated to be around five people.

Health authorities plan to check for more contacts and conduct further testing. They also recommend that visitors who had contact with these merchants get tested.