London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Seoul a ‘Covid-19 war zone’ as cases continue to soar in South Korea

Seoul a ‘Covid-19 war zone’ as cases continue to soar in South Korea

South Korea reported 615 new coronavirus infections, as officials call for increased social distancing, testing and tracing to prevent a major outbreak.
South Korea’s health minister on Monday said the Seoul metropolitan area is now a “Covid-19 war zone”, as the country reported another 615 new infections and the virus appeared to be spreading faster.

The president, meanwhile, issued a call to expand testing and contact tracing. The country has recorded more than 5,300 new infections in the past 10 days and Monday was the 30th day in a row of triple-digit daily jumps.

Most cases have come from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, where half of South Korea’s 51 million people live. With people increasingly venturing out in public and spending longer hours indoors amid cold temperatures, health workers have struggled to stem transmissions tied to restaurants, saunas, schools, hospitals and long-term care facilities.

“The capital area is now a Covid-19 war zone,” Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said in a virus meeting, asking for vigilance.

He said the country may have to increase social distancing to prevent the resurgence in the capital area from “exploding into a major outbreak nationwide and collapsing the health care system”.

Na Seong-woong, a senior official from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, told reporters the country could be reporting around 900 new infections a day next week if it fails to slow the virus quickly.

While South Korea managed to contain a major outbreak in its southeastern region in spring by channelling nationwide health resources and personnel, it is less clear where the reinforcements will come if the virus wreaks havoc in the Seoul area.

While President Moon Jae-in’s government had been eager to tout the country’s previous gains against the virus, there is criticism that it gambled on its own success by moving quickly to ease social distancing restrictions to the lowest level in October even as the virus was still spreading.

Officials have moved to restore some distancing restrictions in the Seoul area in recent weeks, shutting down nightclubs, karaoke rooms and gyms, reducing in-person school classes and allowing restaurants to provide only delivery and takeaway after 9pm.

City officials in Seoul have also reduced public transport after 9pm to discourage unnecessary gatherings, although some say the move might backfire by making buses and undergrounds more packed.

Some health experts have endorsed stronger restrictions, such as banning all gatherings of more than 10 people, shutting down schools and churches and requiring companies to have more employees work from home.

Moon expressed concern on Monday that health workers are increasingly struggling to track transmission routes amid the rising infections, urging officials to deploy the “maximum available manpower” of civil servants, police and military personnel to assist with contact tracing efforts in the capital area, his spokesman Chung Man-ho said.

Chung said Moon also instructed officials to keep more testing stations open during night hours or holidays and install more “drive-through” set-ups that allow workers to collect samples from drivers through car windows.

He also asked “any citizen who has the slightest suspicion of being infected to visit a screening centre to get tested”, Chung said.

During a separate briefing, Na said health officials are planning to adopt new testing techniques, including rapid antigen tests and salvia-based tests, so that they could screen potential virus carriers more quickly.

The country mainly relies on a diagnostic testing method called PCR, which is more accurate but also more complicated.

The country’s has reported 38,161 infections since the pandemic began and 549 deaths.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×