Court Denies Liability for Damages of COVID-19 Confirmed Patient Who Hid Attendance at Large Gatherings During Outbreak

Already Criminally Punished... Double Punishment Including Civil Liability Is Excessive

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] A local government filed a damages lawsuit against a man in his 70s who concealed his attendance at a large-scale gathering during the COVID-19 pandemic, holding him responsible for a chain of infections, but lost the case.

On the 27th, Judge Kim Ryong of the Civil Division 7 at Cheongju District Court announced a ruling in favor of the defendant in the damages claim filed by Cheongju City, which demanded that Mr. A, who hid his attendance at the gathering, compensate 52.08 million KRW for medical and testing expenses.

The court stated, "It is difficult to see that Mr. A had the intent to spread the infection, and imposing both criminal and civil penalties constitutes excessive double punishment."

Mr. A attended the Gwanghwamun Liberation Day rally held in Seoul on August 15, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic but concealed this fact and did not comply with the administrative order for diagnostic testing.

He only underwent testing after his family members tested positive, was confirmed positive for COVID-19, and was prosecuted for violating the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, receiving a criminal penalty of a 3 million KRW fine.