Chinese Person Who Refused Quarantine and Fled... Even Chinese Netizens Say "It's Embarrassing"

Some Criticize Korea, Asking "Why Discriminate?"

There is growing criticism within China against a man in his 40s who fled after refusing quarantine upon testing positive for COVID-19 at the Incheon Airport arrival hall.

The Metropolitan Investigation Unit of the Incheon Police Agency announced that they apprehended Mr. A (41), a Chinese national in his 40s, at a hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, at 12:55 PM on the 5th.

Mr. A is suspected of refusing quarantine and fleeing near a hotel in Yeongjongdo, Jung-gu, Incheon, at 10:04 PM on the 3rd after testing positive for COVID-19.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from the hotel shows a quarantine bus arriving at the parking lot, and six minutes later, Mr. A getting off the vehicle and running away.

Although order maintenance personnel were deployed at the scene, they reportedly failed to prevent Mr. A’s escape. Afterwards, he moved about 300 meters from the hotel to a large supermarket and then took a taxi to Seoul.

A man in his 40s from China, identified as Mr. A, who refused hotel quarantine and fled after testing positive for COVID-19, was apprehended in Seoul on the 5th and is being escorted to a hotel in Jung-gu, Incheon.

News of Mr. A’s escape was reported by Chinese state-run media. On Weibo, a Chinese social networking service, criticism against Mr. A continues. One Weibo user commented, "Why run away so shamefully? Wouldn’t it have been better to just stay quietly from the start?" Another user said, "To become a wanted person by fleeing abroad? Act sensibly. I don’t understand why he ran away."

However, some Chinese netizens defended Mr. A while criticizing the South Korean government’s quarantine policies. One user explained the Korean quarantine measures and asked, "Why discriminate against Chinese people?"

Previously, the South Korean government implemented strengthened quarantine measures such as short-term visa restrictions and testing before and after entry to prevent the influx of confirmed cases from China, where COVID-19 has rapidly resurged.

Meanwhile, the police plan to investigate Mr. A on charges of violating the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act. If prosecuted and found guilty in South Korea, he could face up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won under current law. Additionally, he may be subject to deportation and a ban on entering South Korea for a certain period.