"자가격리 위반 엄청 처벌"...5일부터 '1년 이하 징역 또는 1천만원 이하 벌금' 적용<br /><br />After stabilizing its number of new COVID-19 cases, South Korea wants to prevent a second wave of infections.<br />But, those ignoring quarantine orders are increasingly becoming a public health risk.<br />To halt the spread of the coronavirus, South Korea is implementing more severe penalties for those violating the country's self-quarantine measures starting this Sunday.<br />Local governments have already been bringing criminal charges against those violating self-quarantine orders.<br />Kan Hyeong-woo reports.<br />Those who violate South Korea's self-quarantine measures will soon face more severe punishments.<br />Currently, people breaking quarantine can be fined up to 2-thousand-4-hundred U.S. dollars.<br />But from Sunday,...the penalty will be increased to a maximum fine of 8-thousand-1-hundred dollars or a prison term of up to one year.<br />"We will enforce severe punishment for self-quarantine violators, regardless of their nationality. In the case of foreigners, deportation and prohibition of re-entry will be applied quickly. Once again, we are stressing that disobeying self-quarantine threatens the safety of our community."<br />According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters,... the police have received a total of 52 cases of self-quarantine violations as of Wednesday, with six cases so far being passed on to the prosecution.<br />Local governments are showing no leniency towards those who ignore self-isolation measures.<br />When an 80-year old Korean woman living on Jeju Island reportedly violated self-quarantine to go to a restaurant with a friend, local authorities immediately took action.<br />"Given the lady's old age, we fully understand the frustration of self-quarantine. But since there cannot be any exceptions, we've decided to file a criminal charge against her.<br />With the number of COVID-19 cases on the increase around the world,...all entrants to South Korea have been subject to a 14-day quarantine since Wednesday.<br />Kan Hyeong-woo, Arirang News.<br />
