GOVT TO POSSIBLY SUE WOMAN OF FALSE TESTIMONY

[Anchor Lead]

The false testimony of a woman from Seoul's Songpa-gu District, who was found to have COVID-19, made headlines in Gwangju and Jeollanam-do Province last weekend, fueling concerns about additional community spread. The Gwangju City government is considering filing a suit against the woman. It's looking into demanding that she pays 200 million won in compensation for causing a cluster of infections in the city by lying about her trip to Gwangju and thus blocking the authorities from stopping the spread early on.

[Pkg]

Cluster infections that began in the office of a door-to-door sales company in Seoul's Gwanak-gu District, have spread to Gyeonggi-do and Jeollabuk-do provinces as well as all the way to Gwangju and Jeollanam-do Province. Health authorities in Gwangju missed the critical time for stopping the spread of the virus because an infected woman from Seoul's Songpa-gu District lied about her recent trip to the southern city. Had the woman notified health authorities about her trip upon being diagnosed with the coronavirus last Wednesday, authorities would have been able to trace her contacts in the city early on and minimize their movements. Due to her false testimony, those who contracted the virus from her went about their daily lives as usual. As a result, health authorities had to disinfect a wider area and place more people under quarantine.

[Soundbite] LEE YONG-SEOP(GWANGJU MAYOR) : "This is an example of how neglect and a small mistake of one person can cause enormous social costs and damage."

The Gwangju City government is considering requesting a police investigation into the woman and demanding 200 million won in compensation from her. This includes test fees for some 800 people, medical bills for those who contracted the virus from the woman, and funding for self-isolated residents. However, the amount does not include social costs and administrative expenses, such as losses sustained by businesses that had been visited by the infected.

[Soundbite] PARK HYANG(GWANGJU CITY GOVERNMENT) : "Medical bills of COVID-19 patients are covered by the state. When the self-isolation period is over, additional tests are conducted. We calculated test fees and the living expenses of the self-quarantined."

The Gwangju City Government plans to cooperate with Songpa-gu Ward to find out if the woman lied on purpose.