Moon visits virus-hit Daegu

President Moon Jae-in visits the Daegu Medical Center on Feb. 25, 2020. Yonhap

By Do Je-hae

President Moon Jae-in visited the southeastern city of Daegu to check on its response to COVID-19, Tuesday, and vowed strong support for the city and adjacent areas that have been hit hardest by the virus.

Moon presided over a government meeting held at the Daegu City Hall to discuss support measures for the city, where hundreds of confirmed cases have generated widespread public fear. Concerns have also been rising over the economic impact of the epidemic on the sagging local economy. The President's visit was aimed at assuaging the mounting public concerns and ensure the people that the government will take effective steps to contain the virus at an early date, according to the presidential office.

In particular, he called on the need for noticeable progress in containing the virus by the end of this week. “We must see a turnaround this week,” Moon said. “The government has been operating a pan-national support system by deploying the military and police forces and also getting help from the medical sector. Starting today, the Prime Minister will stay in Daegu and lead the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters.”

It is the first time for the Prime Minister to take charge of the headquarters which has traditionally been run by the interior minister during national disasters. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun arrived in Daegu later in the day. This is seen to reflect Moon's resolute determination to settle the crisis at an early date.

Moon underlined the need to help Daegu overcome the epidemic. “The government is working on special measures to help ease the socioeconomic damage that Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province are experiencing. The government will expedite the implementation of the emergency budget, including special grants and reserves. The situation is so severe that declaring the region a special disaster zone will not be enough. To ensure sufficient financial support, we will actively consider the supplementary budget with parliamentary consent,” Moon added.

After the meeting at the Daegu City Hall, Moon also visited various sites to hear the people's concerns about the virus. He stopped by at medical center, a district office and a market in eastern Daegu.