Infections Spread Rapidly from Dongbu Detention Center... Families of Inmates Are Left Anxiously Waiting

Emergency of 'Mass Infection' from Dongbu Detention Center

Dongbu Detention Center Conducts 4th Full-scale Survey on About 1,830 Inmates
Inmates' Families Say "Feeling Helpless... No Situation Awareness"
Inmates Inform Internal Situation Through Letters
Domino Infections Continue in Other Detention Facilities

On the 30th, the Seoul Eastern Detention Center, where a mass infection of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) occurred. The situation is worsening as a large number of confirmed cases have emerged among inmates transferred from the Eastern Detention Center to other correctional facilities. The mass infection at the Eastern Detention Center began with the first confirmed staff member on the 28th of last month, followed by the first confirmed inmate case on the 14th. As of the morning of this day, the cumulative number of confirmed cases has risen to 792. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy reporters Seongpil Cho, Seungyoon Song, Suhwan Kim] Around 9 a.m. on the 30th, all the entrance doors of Seoul Eastern Detention Center in Songpa-gu, Seoul were firmly closed. Hardly any passersby were seen. Only vehicles used by staff entered and exited at 10-minute intervals. Kim (35, male), who works at the security office here, said, "The civil complaint office is also closed, so access is practically restricted for complainants and the general public," adding, "Only lawyers with urgent matters such as appeal changes are allowed entry after ID verification." Nearby merchants showed extremely sensitive reactions. A convenience store owner, upon hearing about the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) at the Eastern Detention Center, said, "I don't have the capacity to talk right now," and asked, "Please leave during busy hours."

The number of COVID-19 confirmed cases at the Eastern Detention Center has reached 792 as of the previous day. This includes 21 staff members and 771 inmates. Since the first confirmed case on the 27th of last month, when one staff member was infected by a family member, 30% of the total population has tested positive within a month. The Eastern Detention Center decided to conduct a fourth full-scale test on approximately 1,830 people excluding the existing confirmed cases on this day. Depending on the results, the number of confirmed cases may increase.

◆Confirmed cases rise again... Families are anxious = Families of inmates are deeply worried. On an internet cafe where families of inmates gather, posts are flooding in with messages such as "My family is at the Eastern Detention Center, but visits are blocked and there is no correspondence, so it's hopeless," and "Inmates from the Eastern Detention Center were moved to the Southern Prison and placed in single rooms, but there are concerns about infection." One member said, "I checked the deposit money through the Ministry of Justice's online civil service and found that my family member's incarceration information had changed," adding, "I was not notified whether this was due to a confirmed diagnosis and transfer." Some families have exposed letters to reveal the poor conditions inside. In the letters they disclosed, it was stated, "After 10 p.m., about 200 people who shared rooms with confirmed or contact cases were gathered in the auditorium and kept seated there until 3 a.m." They also claimed, "Even though they had fever and were feeling sick, no measures were taken despite protests." Some families, quoting inmates, said, "The Eastern Detention Center is currently in chaos," and "In the area where confirmed cases are held, cries of 'I'm sick' and 'Please save me' are heard all day long."

On the 30th, a person wearing protective clothing was moving inside Seoul Eastern Detention Center, where a mass infection of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) occurred. The situation is worsening as a large number of confirmed cases have emerged among inmates transferred from Eastern Detention Center to other correctional facilities. The mass infection at Eastern Detention Center began with the first confirmed case among staff on the 28th of last month, followed by the first confirmed inmate case on the 14th of this month. As of the morning of this day, the cumulative number of confirmed cases had increased to 792. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

◆Apartment-style structure... Leading to cluster infections = The Eastern Detention Center, built in 2017, is one of the most modern correctional facilities in South Korea, but since most of the inmates' lives are spent indoors, it has been a major factor in the spread of COVID-19. It has a 12-story apartment-style structure with five connected buildings. When 187 confirmed cases were reported at once on the 19th, 115 of them were from the 8th floor alone. This area houses pretrial detainees. The population was 2,412, about 400 more than the capacity of 2,070. The Ministry of Justice recently stated that since 345 confirmed cases were transferred to Cheongsong, even if new confirmed cases remain at the Eastern Detention Center, the density does not exceed 120% of the standard. However, considering that confirmed cases continue to appear, there are calls for additional measures.

◆Inmate dispersion... Growing concerns over spread = The Ministry of Justice is dispersing and transferring some inmates to other correctional facilities to resolve overcrowding at the Eastern Detention Center. Around 9:30 a.m. on this day, three large buses carrying inmates were seen leaving the main gate and heading to other correctional facilities. A related official said, "We cannot confirm the exact number of people or the transfer locations."

Domino infections are also increasing in facilities such as the Southern Prison and Gangwon Northern Prison, where inmates have been transferred. It was also confirmed that inmates who tested positive at the Eastern Detention Center appeared at courts such as the Seoul Central District Court. A Seoul Central District Court official said, "All defendants and staff in the courtroom wore masks," and "As a proactive preventive measure, all courtrooms have been disinfected." However, the possibility of additional confirmed cases cannot be ruled out. There has been criticism of the initial response failure and calls for the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility. The Ministry plans to respond to cluster infections in correctional facilities according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' quarantine manual, but it has not disclosed the manual, citing the reason that "inmate management situations cannot be made public."