'Stronger measures for sexual minorities': Minister's COVID-19 countermeasure causes stir

Health Minister Park Neung-hoo speaks during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in the Government Complex Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

By Jung Da-min

Health Minister Park Neung-hoo is under fire for remarks on the sexual minority community related to a new COVID-19 outbreak centered around clubs in Itaewon.

The controversy started Monday after a Telegram message by South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Kyoung-soo in a group chat with other government officials came to the attention of a local news agency, News 1.

“The health minister's remarks during the previous meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, that strong measures are needed especially in Seoul's Itaewon, Nonhyeon and Ikseon areas as they are frequented by the sexual minority community, are highly dangerous comments,” read Kim's message. Kim sent the message after a closed meeting on the coronavirus outbreak at the Government Complex Seoul, which Kim and other governors attended through a video call.

“Such remarks are not only discriminatory against sexual minorities but also give the impression that the government's measures against the new COVID-19 outbreaks centering on Itaewon target sexual minorities. I am concerned that the minister is viewing the issue that way,” Kim's message read.

Last week, dozens of people were found to have contracted the coronavirus after visiting clubs in Itaewon, a special tourist zone and entertainment district in the capital, over the previous long weekend. Several of the affected clubs cater to sexual minorities.

It is not known in which context Minister Park made such remarks during the closed-door meeting. But politics watchers raised concerns that they can give the wrong impression that the government views sexual minorities as patients or potential contractors of the coronavirus, or worse, the culprits of another possible mass infection. Worries are that this perception could force infected people to hide their symptoms and result in further spread of the virus.

Apparently mindful of the controversy from his earlier remarks, Park said in Tuesday's meeting, “Discrimination and exclusion create a social atmosphere in which people want to hide COVID-19 infections, impeding the country's battle against the virus.” He added that anyone, regardless of what region they come from, or which religious faiths they practice, can contract the coronavirus, calling for cooperation from those who visited the clubs in Itaewon.

According to the government, about 2,000 people out of 5,500 who visited the clubs on the night in question unaccounted for as of Tuesday.

While Korea has become an exemplary model for the international community concerning its COVID-19 containment efforts, some measures by the government have raised concerns over human rights violations, as personal information of those who tested positive for the virus has been spreading online.

Some media reports after the new COVID-19 outbreak in Itaewon have also added to the controversy, by labeling it as the “Itaewon gay club case.” Such descriptions went viral online and drew criticism.

“Before you decide to lead with gay club, ask yourself this: would you write heterosexual club?” a Twitter user wrote.

Another Twitter user said the government was failing to win the trust of sexual minorities and get them to undergo testing, as they are not confident that their rights will be as equally protected as others.